Poor security caused loss of patients' data

London: The full details of how National Health Service (NHS) staff have lost confidential data on thousands of Londoners can now be revealed.

An investigation has found a total of 55 "serious" cases were reported over the past two years, including laptop thefts, with the private data of more than 40,000 people potentially exposed.

In many cases, medical records and home addresses were lost by staff taking home memory sticks and CDs or leaving patient notes in public places.

One of the most high profile incidents was the theft of six laptop computers from St George's Hospital in Tooting in June this year. Other blunders include staff throwing out a filing cabinet and computers containing patients' details and faxing confidential data to a member of the public.

It has prompted calls for a shake-up in security over the handling of patient data and for ministers to scrap plans for a national computerised database.

"The Lib-Dems have exposed the NHS's persistent failure to take patient data seriously," a Patients Association spokeswoman said.

"The database is not performing as we were promised."