The ICO exists to empower you through information.

Enforcement action

14 in total

University Hospital of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

05 April 2024, Reprimands, Health

A reprimand is being issued to University Hospital of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust as they have only responded to 59% of incoming SARs within the statutory timeframe during the period of 01 August 2022 to 01 July 2023.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust

20 December 2023, Reprimands, Health

The reprimand was issued as the South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust (the Trust) was found to have not ensured that its staff were fully trained and prepared to deal with correspondence that was particularly sensitive, and which had been referred to the Trust via legitimate but unusual channels. Staff were not provided with appropriate guidance to ensure that they could deal with sensitive correspondence in every situation. The effect of the infringement was that significant distress was caused to the family of a child patient at a time that was already particularly traumatic for the family.

NHS Fife

23 November 2023, Reprimands, Health

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a reprimand to NHS Fife, after an unauthorised individual was able to enter a ward and access the personal information of 14 patients.

University Hospital of Derby and Burton NHS Trust (UHDB)

30 October 2023, Reprimands, Health

UHDB failed to have adequate processes in place, especially when processing special category data, which resulted in referrals for out-patients’ appointments not being processed in a timely manner. In some cases, this led to delays of up to two years before medical treatment was arranged.

NHS Lanarkshire

31 July 2023, Reprimands, Health

The Information Commissioner (the Commissioner) issues a reprimand to NHS Lanarkshire in accordance with Article 58 (2)(b) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) for the sharing of personal data of patients via unauthorised means and secondly, a disclosure of personal data.

The Patient and Client Council

19 July 2023, Reprimands, Health

A reprimand has been issued to The Patient and Client Council in relation to infringements of Article 5 (1)(f) and Article 32 (1) of the UK GDPR. The infringements were identified following an investigation into the disclosure of special category due to an email sent to 15 individuals using carbon copy (CC) rather than blind carbon copy (BCC).

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

25 April 2023, Reprimands, Health

The Information Commissioner (the Commissioner) issues a reprimand to University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust) in accordance with Article 58(2)(b) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation in respect of certain infringements of the UK GDPR.

NHS Highland

09 March 2023, Reprimands, Health

A formal reprimand has been issued to NHS Highland, which emailed 37 people likely to be accessing HIV services, inadvertently using CC (carbon copy) instead of BCC (blind carbon copy). The error meant recipients of the email could see the personal email addresses of other people receiving the email, with one person confirming they recognised four other individuals, one of whom was a previous sexual partner.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust

07 March 2023, Reprimands, Health

Patient records were saved on to an Electronic Document Viewing System. The Trust decided to terminate the use of this system and the records on it were downloaded prior to allowing the system licence to expire. However this download was not fully successful but this was not investigated prior to the licence expiry and therefore a number of records became inaccessible and some permanently lost.

NHS Blood and Transplant

03 March 2023, Reprimands, Health

The Commissioner has decided to issue NHSBT with a reprimand in accordance with Article 58 of the GDPR, after they inadvertently released untested development code into a live system for matching transplant list patients with donated organs in August 2019.

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

10 November 2022, Reprimands, Health

Hysteroscopy scans were saved on to a series of three USB sticks over a period of nine years from May 2013 until the remaining two encrypted USB sticks became inaccessible on 5 April 2018. It is unknown whether this inaccessibility was as a result of a technical failure of the USBs or human error from inputting the wrong password.

The Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust

30 June 2022, Monetary penalties, Health

Between the period 25 May 2018 to 6 September 2019, the Trust used Outlook to send bulk emails to 1,781 Gender Identity Clinic service users. The Trust failed to comply with Chapter II GDPR, specifically Articles 5(1)(f), and 32(1) & (2).

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

07 April 2022, Reprimands, Health

incorrect test result data was passed by Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust (the Trust) to Public Health England (PHE) resulting in individuals erroneously being contacted via the NHS Test and Trace (NHS T&T) system and advised to isolate.

NHS National Services Scotland (NHS NSS)

24 February 2022, Reprimands, Health

The Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland (NHS NSS) has been issued with a reprimand in accordance with Article 58(2)(b) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation.