Patients' confidential records on stolen ambulance laptop

THE confidential records of 600 NHS patients have been stolen after a laptop was taken from an ambulance headquarters.

The laptop, which was stolen from the Scottish Ambulance Service headquarters in Morningside, Edinburgh, held the names, addresses and details of treatments for 600 patients.

It is understood the information was protected by a password but was not encrypted. It was taken between 4:15pm on Tuesday and 7:30am on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "The laptop is password protected and would be difficult to access without specialist IT skills."

Though "robust" security measures were in place the spokesperson said they had not been followed and an investigation has been launched, adding: "The service treats the handling of patient information as an issue of the utmost importance."

Lothian and Borders police said enquiries are ongoing.