Computer Misuse Act Snares NHS Snooper

Last week saw the rare occurrence of a prosecution under the Computer Misuse Act after an NHS IT manager pleaded guilty to accessing the medical records of hundreds of friends, family and colleagues. The manager in question was sentenced to a six month suspended prison sentence.

The Facts

The NHS Manager in question - Dale Trever - was employed by NHS Hull Primary Care Trust as a data quality manager, a position which gave him access to the medical records of thousands of patients held on NHS computers. He used this position to access more than 400 records of family, friends, and colleagues and was caught after a colleague reported his activity. Despite pleading guilty, the Judge in the case imposed a penalty of a six month suspended prison sentence.