Privacy watchdog snarls at NHS data losses

[OwlHoot]

Healthcare staff really don't understand the concept of Data Protection. They are past masters at making life as easy as possible regarding computing...

Must admit in their position I'd be exactly the same. The only solution is "passive" security, such as fingerprint readers and suchlike.

[TheRefactornator]

The NHS spine services to enable roll out of electronic transfer of patient records via 3rd party clinical software houses is nearing go live..and other half baked stuff like electronic prescription service which still requires paper FP10s!! not really electronic that is it?? and choose and book, which was previously rolled out and both NHS / patient opinion is that it just doesn't work.

[the_duderama]

They were sent as encrypted sound files from the consultant's dictaphones. They had a machine where they just plugged them in and the notes were sent automatically.

Ahh ok that makes more sense, I've seen a similair system used in law firms, although they would just be sent to a secretary in the same office.

[cojak]

isn't computing supposed to make life easier and not harder?

There is always a trade-off between ease of use, cost and security (how many of you out there have the same password to all of your bank accounts?).

The best compromise/design is to have a 'password' that is with you all the time and you don't have to remember i.e. biometrics (fingerprints or iris scans).

But all of that is too expensive/advanced for your average NHS Trust.

[Lockhouse]

What's the point in typing them up in an email, for the outsourced people to then type them up again? Wouldn't that just result in the hiring of someone to type up the emails for them to be typed up into the system?

They were sent as encrypted sound files from the consultant's dictaphones. They had a machine where they just plugged them in and the notes were sent automatically.

[Drewster]

What's the point in typing them up in an email, for the outsourced people to then type them up again? Wouldn't that just result in the hiring of someone to type up the emails for them to be typed up into the system?

You appear to have spotted the slight flaw in that particular Urban Myth!

[DodgyAgent]

isn't computing supposed to make life easier and not harder?

No, its to create jobs for forty year old men with beards who live at home with their mothers

[the_duderama]

My wife used to work in a NHS hospital where all the secretarial staff were sacked and the typing was outsourced abroad. All the patient's notes were encrypted and emailed to be typed up remotely then sent back.

What's the point in typing them up in an email, for the outsourced people to then type them up again? Wouldn't that just result in the hiring of someone to type up the emails for them to be typed up into the system?

[JamieMoles]

If you had an innovative idea that used software that you were familiar with and could code it yourself in your spare time, would you give it to the NHS gratis or would you squeeze the flipers for every last £ you could get?

If you need to answer that question I would suggest you work out how much money you have paid in NI over the years as this is supposed to go to the NHS to pay for your treatment.

When you've done that, you should now know how much money you have therefore already given the NHS. You really want to now give them your services free too?

[Menelaus]

Here's a question. If you had an innovative idea that used software that you were familiar with and could code it yourself in your spare time, would you give it to the NHS gratis or would you squeeze the feckers for every last £ you could get?

(Note: I'm in a similar position at the moment myself).

[Lockhouse]

My wife used to work in a NHS hospital where all the secretarial staff were sacked and the typing was outsourced abroad. All the patient's notes were encrypted and emailed to be typed up remotely then sent back. Of course because of privacy issues, none of the patient's names were sent, the notes were linked to code numbers and then matched back up when the notes came back. Spot the weak link in the chain? How long before someone died because the numbers were matched up incorrectly? Answer; Not very long.

[AtW]

Hospitals should focus on making their patients healthy again quick: that should be their top priority.

It is far more worrying that in some hospitals some nurses were killing elderly patients and nobody noticed (or cared!). Or that hospital in Staffordshire where lots of people died due to poor conditions - now that's important, al that security malarkley is the result of poor IT design in the first place.

[original PM]

Healthcare staff really don't understand the concept of Data Protection. They are past masters at making life as easy as possible regarding computing...

isn't computing supposed to make life easier and not harder?

[cojak]

Again

Hospitals are absolutely abysmal when it comes to data security. They used to throw records into unsupervised taxis between them before before the digital age and complained bitterly then security was added during NPfIT rollout.

Consultants and nurses were as bad as each other. Consultants used to hand their passwords to any passing PA as they often didn't deign to touch a computer unless it was 'sexy' (digital x-rays), and nurses used have a communal security card that was always lying around the desk. I might have wept when I saw what was going on.

Healthcare staff really don't understand the concept of Data Protection. They are past masters at making life as easy as possible regarding computing...