Security lapse in junior doctor jobs website
From Mmc
Security lapse in junior doctor jobs website
By Nic Fleming, Medical Correspondent, and Stephanie Condron Last Updated: 2:57am BST 27/04/2007
An investigation was launched tonight after a serious security breach on the website used by medical students applying for junior doctor positions.
A Channel 4 news reporter was able to access applicants’ confidential personal details including their addresses, telephone numbers, criminal convictions, sexual orientation and religion, following a tip off from a doctor. Details were available to anyone with the right internet address (URL) for at least nine hours today.
The data on medical students applying for foundation course posts to become junior doctors had been stored on Microsoft Excel files and placed on the NHS Medical Training Application Service website.
The Information Commissioner tonight promised to investigate the security breach, which was closed half an hour after the Department of Health was informed at 4.35pm.
It is not known how often the information had been accessed. If personal data has been stolen the NHS is likely to have to pay for all those affected to have regular checks to ensure their personal information was not being used fraudulently. advertisement
Jo Hilborne, of the Junior Doctor Committee for the British Medical Association, said: “I am very pleased they have taken it down straight away.
“It doesn’t address the issue of how it got there in the first place and that still needs a very serious inquiry, a proper in-depth look into how this possibly could have happened, particularly when we have known for such a long time that there are concerns about this website.
“It hasn’t been a secret that juniors’ faith in this whole system has been very, very badly damaged and this isn’t going to help at all.”
According to BMA figures, 34,250 junior doctors have applied for 18,500 specialist posts around the UK under the disastrous new junior doctor training scheme Modernising Medical Careers (MMC).
At the weekend a leaked NHS document said that 10,000 junior doctors unable to find work could be offered voluntary work overseas.
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) said it was initially approached by the Department of Health. But after the disclosure was made, the DoH spokesman distanced itself from the claims.
Last month Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt apologised for the “terrible anxiety” caused to junior doctors, particularly problems with MTAS.
Meanwhile, more than half of junior doctors who took part in a survey said they were likely to leave the UK if they do not secure a job.
Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Health Secretary, said: “I think it’s shocking. I think this is a very serious matter. It’s something which never should have happened.
“I do not think the Department [of Health] should say this is something they should not have been aware of. The risks to security have been highlighted before.”
Asked if Patricia Hewitt should resign, he said she would lose her post after Tony Blair steps down as Prime Minister.
“She will go,” he said. “I have no doubt about that. There is no realistic prospect of Patricia Hewitt commanding the confidence of the NHS anymore.”
Matt Jameson-Evans, of the campaign group Remedy UK, said: “I am absolutely gobsmacked.
“I do not now whether to laugh or cry. I am not going to be able to laugh because it’s so serious. It’s a level of ineptitude that characterises this whole process.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “We apologise to any applicants whose details have been improperly accessed. This is a very serious matter and is under investigation.
“This URL was made available to a strictly limited number of people making checks as part of the employment process.
“This information was never publicly available through the MTAS website and was only accessible for only a short period of time after details of the URL were leaked. The MTAS team fixed the problem as soon as it was brought to their attention.”
