A former NHS worker illegally accessed the medical records of more than 150 people. Loretta Alborghetti, from Redditch, worked as a medical secretary when she viewed private files of family members and neighbours.
She worked for the Ophthalmology department at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. But a probe was launched when a complaint was raised by a patient concerned that their medical records had been accessed by an employee.
An investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) revealed that Ms Alborghetti had accessed this individual’s records 33 times, without consent or a business need, between March 2019 and June 2019. It further discovered that she had accessed a total of 156 patient records without consent or a business need, viewing them over 1,800 times within the three-month period.
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This included the records of family members and individuals with postcodes local to where she lived at the time. As part of her role as a medical secretary, Ms Alborghetti was required to access clinical and personal information of patients within the ophthalmology department. However, the individuals whose records were accessed had no medical conditions relating to ophthalmology - the treatment of disorders of the eye and vision.
Ms Alborghetti - who worked for the Trust which provides outpatient clinics at the Princess of Wales hospital, in Bromsgrove, Kidderminster Hospital and Worcestershire Royal in Worcester - appeared before Worcester Magistrates’ Court on November 15. She admitted to unlawfully obtaining personal data in breach of Section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018 and was ordered to pay a total of £648.
Speaking after the case, Andy Curry, ICO Head of Investigations, said: “People should never have to think twice about whether their sensitive data, such as their medical records, is secure and in safe hands. We want to remind those in positions of trust that just because your job may grant you access to other people’s personal information, that doesn’t mean you have the legal right to look at it for your own purposes.
“This case shows that the ICO will take action when confidential personal records are accessed unlawfully. Curiosity is no excuse for breaching data protection laws.”
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