Massive Data Breach at London Sexual Health Clinic Reveals 800 HIV Patients Details
A London sexual health clinic has accidentally revealed the identities of 780 HIV patients, in what is thought to be the biggest data breach of its kind, reports London’s Evening Standard.
London’s Soho district. Image Credit: commons.wikimedia
A member of staff at the Soho clinic in the city center accidentally sent an email newsletter on Tuesday which disclosed the names and email addresses of the patients.
This is in Britain’s data protection watchdog are likely to launch a major investigation. There is a maximum fine of about $760,000 for for breaches of data protection in the UK.
Londoner Elliot Herman, 38, said he had had seen recognized the names of people he knew on the list, many of whom were not open about their HIV status.
He told the Evening Standard:
“I’m obviously very disappointed, I just think it’s a massive breach of data protection.
“I don’t think it’s right that they’ve revealed all these names and details – you could easily put any of those names into Facebook and bring up photos and details of friends.”
The clinic is part of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) which offers free healthcare. It is frequently cited as one of the best and most generous healthcare providers in the world, however, due to its public sector nature, it has financial restrictions, which mean potential lawsuits could be a big problem. Elliot Herman said:
“I want them to implement a system that means this can never happen again.
“What I don’t want to happen is that they get a fine or people sue them, I don’t think that solves anything, and the NHS doesn’t have enough money as it is.”
Privacy lawyer Adele Ashton of Slater and Gordon said:
“This is a hugely invasive breach of privacy. Nobody wants their email addresses leaked into the public domain, especially when it suggests information they may not have disclosed to their friends and family.
“Everybody has the right to expect that their medical information will be kept private, but on this occasion that trust has been breached in the most dramatic of fashions.
“I would advise anyone affected by this to speak to a lawyer about bringing a claim for breach of privacy and under the Data Protection Act against the clinic or anybody else who publishes that information.”
Despite a considerable stigma still being attached to HIV, those affected are covered by the Equality Act in the UK.
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