A senior nurse caught snooping on medical records has reportedly been suspended in yet another case of an NHS employee abusing their rights of information access.
Carol Anne Rodda, in her capacity working for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust data breach, has reportedly been suspended for 12 months for a number of breaches. A number of the medical records data breach compensation claims we take forward involve healthcare employees improperly accessing information, so we know how bad these kinds of incidents can be.
There have been a number of occasions where the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been forced to take action against staff for snooping. The ICO has also had to issue warnings because of so many instances of it happening.
Another nurse caught snooping on medical records
This is another case of a nurse caught snooping on medical records. We’ve covered many other instances of this happening, and we take medical data claims forward on a No Win, No Fee basis for victims who fit our eligibility criteria for this kind of breach.
In this case, it’s understood that the senior nurse had reportedly accessed information improperly over a period of 9 months. She’s understood to have snooped on the medical records for colleagues and at least one family member, as well as looking at her own, and records for a patient without the need to lawfully do so.
It’s understood that a healthcare assistant informed senior staff about the breach which led to the discovery.
Rodda is said to have divulged some of the information she’d accessed to other colleagues. Her defence apparently suggested that other people may have used her access credentials to snoop on the records when her PC was left unlocked. She also claimed that it was someone else that had accessed her mobile phone and shared information.
A total of 13 charges were brought against her, and she was subsequently suspended for 12 months. It’s understood she failed to attend her hearings, and she may have left the country.
There’s simply no excuse
A nurse caught snooping on medical records is a serious matter, and there’s simply no excuse for this kind of improper behaviour. Staff – particularly senior nurses – ought to know their responsibilities when it comes to the medical information they can access.
Despite this, a number of incidents have taken place where healthcare employees have snooped on medical records, and the ICO has been forced to bring prosecutions. Careers can be left ruined, and the victims whose medical data has been misused and / or compromised can suffer from serious distress.
The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust – as Rodda’s employer – could also face action for this kind of breach as well.
What can you do as a victim of this kind of incident?
The victim in a case of a nurse caught snooping on medical records may be entitled to make a claim for medical data breach compensation.
It all depends on how the information was accessed, and whether it has been further exposed. We know from this particular incident that some data was reportedly divulged to other colleagues.
Data breach compensation amounts when it’s medical information that has been exposed or issued can be high. For free, no-obligation advice, you’re more than welcome to contact our team for assistance.