Welsh NHS investigates data breach

The Welsh NHS has launched an investigation after the details of thousands of medical staff were stolen from private contractor Landauer, which processes data on behalf of the Welsh NHS.

The confidential information included names, dates of birth, radiation doses and National Insurance numbers of staff who work with X-rays.

The affected staff all use radiation dose meter badges to measure their exposure while working with X-rays.

Managers at Velindre NHS Trust said radiographers, cleaners and other staff at most health boards in Wales are affected, including about 530 working for the Velindre NHS Trust, which co-ordinates the radiation dose meter badges in Wales.

Around 654 staff at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have had some of their personal details compromised, as well as a number of people working for private dentists and vets and NHS staff in England and Scotland.

A spokesman for the Betsi Cadwaladr health board said: "No patient information has been affected, 654 of our staff, current and past, have been affected by this security breach.

"We have contacted all the staff affected to reassure them that Landauer has acted swiftly to secure its servers and that, since the attack, it has undertaken significant measures in connection with its UK IT network to ensure that no further information can be compromised.

"Landauer has also arranged for the staff affected to have free access to the credit monitoring agency Experian for the next 24 months."