Mother-of-six who claims she was sent another woman’s Covid test result by NHS Test and Trace which contained her name and date of birth says data breach is ‘extremely worrying’
- Claire Hyman got 2 texts from NHS with another woman’s name, DOB and result
- Says she was reluctant to get her own test due to sharing data with authorities
- Mature law student Claire, 47, from East Sussex, now concerned for woman who is probably self-isolating and has ‘no way of knowing’ what her result was
A mother-of-six who claims she received another woman’s Covid test result has branded the data breach ‘extremely worrying’.
Claire Hyman, 47, from East Sussex, said the text message she received from NHS Test and Trace contained the person’s name, date of birth and result.
Speaking to Sky News, the mature law student said the incident ‘highlighted the risks of sharing personal data with the authorities’.
‘I saw the text when I was still in bed and without my glasses I could just see NHS and COVID and I thought “why are they contacting me?”‘ she explained.
Claire Hyman, 47, from East Sussex, claims she received another woman’s Covid test result and branded the data breach ‘extremely worrying’
‘I knew it was a data breach straight away. I wouldn’t be happy if I was that woman.
‘They shouldn’t be sending personal, sensitive data like that to the wrong person. It’s extremely worrying.’
After being poorly for two weeks with body aches, extreme headaches and a loss of taste, Claire suspected she might have Covid when some friends tested positive over the Christmas period.
She got a coronavirus test done at a walk-in site near her home on January 10 and received a negative result the next day.
Claire admitted she was ‘reluctant’ to get a test because she worried about her data being misused.
Claire said the text message she received from NHS Test and Trace contained the person’s name, date of birth and result
She also expressed concern for the woman whose test result she received, who now has ‘no way of knowing’ what the outcome was.
She added: ‘She’s probably self-isolating and doesn’t know if she’s okay to go out or not.’
‘Maybe she has an elderly relative she’s worried about giving it to. There are people extremely worried about Covid and she’s probably waiting nervously, anxiously by the phone.’
The sharing of a person’s personal details – their name, date of birth, address or other contact details – without permission is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), legislation regarding data law that came into force in May 2018.
It gives greater power to regulators to penalise companies who mishandle personal data or are not transparent about how their business uses it.
Claire admitted she was ‘reluctant’ to get a Covid test because she worried about her data being misused
The law also states that notification of a data breach must occur within 72 hours of being first discovered, increasing transparency around leaks. Regulators will be able to issue penalties equivalent of up to four per cent of annual global turnover or 20 million euro (£17.5 million) – whichever is greater.
Open Rights Group, a data protection charity, described the data breach as ‘potentially dangerous’, adding that it risks undermining efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told Sky News: ‘NHS Test and Trace is processing over 400,000 tests a day, from more than 800 test centres and mobile units, with the vast majority of people reporting no issues with the process.
‘Everyone who tests positive is contacted directly and informed of their results either by text or email. Anyone who has not received their result from an in-person or home test after 5 days is advised to call 119.’