NHS branded a repeat offender over loss of staff data in the post

The NHS was criticised today after the personal details of 18,000 workers in London were lost in the post.

Four computer discs contained the name, date of birth, national insurance number, and pay details of staff and former workers at Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, Islington primary care trust, Camden primary care trust and Camden and Islington NHS foundation trust.

It is the third such loss involving patient and staff details of London NHS trusts in nine months. The Whittington trust said the discs were password protected and "very difficult to break". It also said they did not contain bank account details. But Geoff Martin, head of the campaign group Health Emergency, said: "This is becoming commonplace. When it comes to data loss the NHS is a repeat offender. It really does raise some serious questions about the ability of the NHS to maintain any kind of integrity on these systems." Whittington trust chief executive David Sloman said an investigation was being carried out and a member of staff had been suspended.