Theft from Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe

Glasgow Times

10 hours ago

Around 20 staff devices were snatched from an office block within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Govan.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board bosses have been forced to fork out £14,000 to replace the stolen equipment, which the Glasgow Times understands contained an array of sensitive and private information.
There are now calls for CCTV to be installed to monitor the office buildings, along with ramped up campus security patrols.
A whistleblower exclusively told the Glasgow Times that staff were shocked when news of the incidents began going round the hospital.
They said: 'This raises serious concerns about data protection and patient confidentiality.
'There have now been repeated incidents of individuals walking into the hospital's office block and making off with valuable equipment — including NHS-issued laptops — from staff offices.
'Management has failed to take any meaningful action and requests by workers for improved protection measures, such as the installation of CCTV or more security on foot around the place, have either been ignored or endlessly delayed.'
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The source continued: 'Instead of taking action, management continues to put the blame on staff, reminding them not to leave equipment unattended, as if these thefts are their fault or responsibility. Rather than addressing the obvious security shortcomings head-on, this approach amounts to burying their heads in the sand while the problem persists and escalates.
'Worse still, in some cases, replacement laptops have also then been stolen, indicating a systematic failure. Some of these devices contain highly sensitive patient data, which is a real issue. There is concern among staff about what's going here.'
(Image: NQ) A letter to staff from Catherine Nivison, general manager of medical specialities, has been shared with the Glasgow Times. It asks employees to now take their laptops home or lock them away in a secure drawer.
It reads: 'We continue to experience a high volume of security incidents within the office block at QEUH. In particular NHS issued laptops, and other personal belongings have been stolen.
'Please can I remind everyone that the office block, while accessed by security doors, is not a secure site. Personal belongings and equipment left within the pods is left at the individual's own risk. If you have been issued with an NHS laptop or other IT equipment, please do not leave this unattended within your pod outwith core business hours.
"We have replaced around 20 laptops this year alone. The cost of this is nearly £14k which could otherwise be spent on patient care or other departmental supplies that we need. Some individuals have had their replacement laptops stolen also.'
The letter continues: 'Please be assured that the police and campus security are involved in investigating this. The estates team is also working with the senior management team in relation to security measures within the office environment, such as security doors and CCTV.'
A spokesperson for Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said that the matter was under review.
They added: 'We can confirm a number of thefts of laptops from offices within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which have been reported to police. All corporate NHSGGC laptops have encrypted hard drives as standard, which prevents unauthorised access to data which may be on drives within the device.
"If a device is stolen, staff are required to report this, and further security measures are taken. It is incorrect to say requests for improved security measures in the office block were ignored as a number of upgrades were completed.
"All staff undergo mandatory training in the secure handling of data. Staff are also regularly reminded of their obligations to keep NHS property safe, and to be vigilant of any suspicious activity."