Birch Hill Theft Prompted Security Investigation

A theft on Birch Hill prompted a comprehensive assessment of Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust (HMRPCT) security measures.

Following a break in on the Birch Hill Site back in April and the theft of IT equipment, HMRPCT has completed a thorough investigation to try and prevent the organisation becoming a victim of crime again.

Computer equipment has been fitted with specialised security devices, new security policies and procedures have been put in place and clinical databases have been validated and formally registered by an incident team.

Letters have been issued informing parents/guardians that computers stolen may have held information relating to their child’s Physiotherapy/Occupational Therapy appointments before 2001.

The letters reassure parents/ guardians that all information stored was of a non clinical nature and included names and addresses which were protected by passwords to restrict unauthorised access. It has therefore been determined that this theft poses a low risk to the child’s personal identifiable information.

It is believed that most likely any patient data held on this computer will have been deleted without any knowledge that the information existed.

Lesley Mort, Executive Director of Delivery, said: “Although we believe that the theft poses a very low risk to patients we have a responsibility to both inform families of the implications of this theft and offer our apologies to them for the loss of its information. Since April we have carried out a full risk assessment and have produced a comprehensive report to minimise the risk of this happening again.”

The PCT’s Patient Advisory Liaison Service (PALS) will be on hand to offer advice or reassurance to any parents/guardians who may be concerned following the theft.