A former NHS secretary has been found guilty of illegally accessing the medical records of over 150 people, including neighbours and family members.
Loretta Alborghetti worked as a medical secretary within the ophthalmology department at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust when she illegally accessed the records. â¯
Concerns were first raised in June 2019 by a patient who was concerned that their medical records had been accessed by an employee.
An investigation revealed that Ms Alborghetti had accessed this individual’s records 33 times between March 2019 and June 2019, without consent or a business need.
It later transpired that she had accessed 156 patient records in the same manner, viewing them over 1,800 times within the three-month period.
This included the records of family members and people 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.
Ms Alborghetti pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining personal data following an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office. She was ordered to pay a £648 fine.
Andy Curry, the ICO’s 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.”
