The Data Protection Commissioner has sought a meeting with Health Service Executive (HSE) management after a laptop, phone and data disk with personal information about 1,150 health workers was stolen from a staff member's home.
The HSE confirmed today the laptop, Blackberry and data disc were stolen from the home of a staff member last Wednesday, September 3rd.
It said the laptop was 'password protected, but was not encrypted'. Encryption of material on a computer makes it more secure and less susceptible to being accessed by a third-party.
The HSE said the theft was reported to gardai and to the Data Protection Commissioner.
"The staff member concerned is a senior medical officer in public health medicine and the laptop and data disc contained personal information gathered for the purposes of a survey on the provision of the influenza vaccine to 1,150 healthcare workers in autumn 2007," the HSE said.
"An electronic copy of the consent form that was signed by the healthcare workers involved was contained on the stolen disc. The forms contain routine information similar to that requested from recipients of other vaccines - name, address, date of birth, contact telephone number, GP name and data relating to occupation."
The HSE began notifying the staff members concerned on Monday this week and said it had outlined what information was contained on the stolen data disk. It had also made a helpline available to the individuals and had apologised for the concern the theft may cause.
"The HSE is satisfied that the immediate cancellation of the Blackberry account has minimised any risk with regard to this particular theft." It said "further consultation" on the information contained on the laptop is currently underway.
The health authority said initiated the process of encrypting all personal technological devices last year and had prioritised the encryption of all devices that contain "personal and medically sensitive data".
It said it planned to have all devices encrypted by the end of September.
Deputy Data Protection Commissioner Gary Davis welcomed that the HSE had reported the matter to his office and that it had informed the staff concerned of the theft of their data.
"Given the serious concerns which are raised by the circumstances surrounding this loss, we sought a meeting at senior management level with the HSE to discuss its broader data handling practices and expect this meeting to take place shortly."
Last month, the Department of Social and Family Affairs contacted 380,000 social welfare recipients after it emerged their personal details were stored on a laptop computer which was stolen more than a year ago.
About 100,000 of the records contained bank account details of welfare recipients.
The information was stored on a computer used by the Comptroller and Auditor General at a Department of Social and Family Affairs office on Dublin's Pearse Street in April 2007.
Sixteen laptop computers belonging to the Comptroller and Auditor General's office have been stolen since 1999.