Hospital manager dismissed over lost patient records

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A senior manager at a hospital has been dismissed after a laptop containing personal information of thousands of patients was stolen from his car.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust said an independent consultancy will now be brought in to assess its procedures and protocols on data security.

Peter Murphy, chief executive of the trust, said: 'Following a disciplinary hearing held on Friday after a detailed investigation, the senior manager whose hospital laptop computer was stolen has been dismissed from the Trust with immediate effect.

'The unanimous decision of the disciplinary panel sends out a clear statement about how seriously the Trust takes security and patient confidentiality. I again apologise for the distress the theft of this laptop may have caused.'