Eight Data Breaches Recorded In Clare By HSE In First Ten Months Of This Year

It’s emerged that an email containing personal details of a child who attended disability services in Clare, as well as their parents’ financial and court records, was sent to a third party.

It was one of more than 360 data-protection breaches recorded by the HSE in the first ten months of this year.

In all there were 8 breaches in this county.

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There were 363 data-protection breaches recorded by the HSE in the first ten months of this year.

Details released under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that patients’ records were found in recycling bins, public streets and car parks across the country.

Stephen McMahon from the Irish Patients Association says it’s a major concern.

8 of the breaches occurred in the Clare area.

In one case, an email including personal and medical data of a minor, who attended disability services in Clare, as well as personal, financial and court records of their parents, including their PPSN, was “inadvertently copied to a third party”.

While, in another case, a speech and language therapy appointment letter intended for the parents of a minor was addressed to the wrong house number.

Green Party Councillor Roisin Garvey, who’s a member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West, says it’s a systems failure.

The HSE says it takes all breaches of data protection seriously and all cases are fully investigated.