Hospital apologises after personal data of 389 patients is lost

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The Brent Teaching Primary Care Trust, which last year was found to be in the red by more than £25 million, lost the files when two laptops were stolen from a locked office at Central Middlesex Hospital.

The computers contained "a small number" of letters containing patients' home addresses and details of their medical conditions.

In a statement, the trust said: "The laptops contained the name and hospital number of approximately 389 patients living in Brent.

"We take patient confidentiality very seriously and apologise for any distress this incident may cause." Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East, said: "People in Brent will be understandably alarmed to hear of this latest incident so soon after the Government lost the details of every family in the country.

"Medical information is extremely sensitive and private and people have a right to know it will be kept safe."

Mark Purcell, a spokesman for the teaching trust and the North West London Hospitals Trust, said: "It's fair to say that trust policy on data security has not been followed in this instance.

"This should not be normal practice but sometimes data is put on laptops to be taken to different areas during the working day."