Abuse of HSC medical records ‘widespread’

Former administrator Jane Laine, 46, of Bramble Cottage, Rue de la Maladerie, St Saviour’s, denied 11 counts of knowingly or recklessly looking at personal data without permission of the data controller.

She worked for HSC for nine months in 2017 and used the system to look up former work colleagues and their families, stating that it was out of nosiness and because she was not properly trained to use the medical records system, Trakcare.

‘I thought I could look at whatever I wanted to look at, as long as I didn’t divulge it to anyone else,’ she told the Magistrate’s Court.

‘HSC is incompetent. They didn’t train me... I would never knowingly do anything which I believe was against the law.’

In court, she said that HSC staff regularly looked up medical records of people who were not active patients.

One example she gave was a colleague who looked up their ex-boyfriend and his new partner to find out if they had had another child.

Another example was that a staff member would check medical records on Trakcare before interviewing people for jobs.

‘People just did it,’ she said. ‘People thought they were allowed to do it.’

She said this case had surprised a lot of health staff, who were unaware of the rules.

HSC was asked by the Guernsey Press earlier this week to provide details about whether any changes had been implemented following this matter, what safeguards are in place to protect medical file and whether any other staff have been found accessing medical records they had no reason to see.

A States spokesman said it could not make any comments while the court case was going on.

The case has been adjourned until Wednesday for a verdict.