ACC privacy breach tip of iceberg

A news item from Voxy

While Wellington Rape Crisis is appalled by the ACC privacy breach of sensitive claims clients, which was made public yesterday, we believe that this breach is just the tip of the iceberg. "We know of many other situations where ACC sensitive claims clients have had their personal information accidentally disclosed to other parties", says Wellington Rape Crisis (WRC) Agency Manager Natalie Gousmett.
"In our small organisation we currently have several clients who are we are supporting in their complaints against ACC for privacy breaches".
"One client had 130 pages of private emails between her and her ACC case managers accidentally faxed to 3 external organisations and was not notified of this breach until she requested an IT sweep of her ACC file" says Natalie Gousmett, "this is a grievous breach of her privacy, causing her huge distress yet she has still not been offered support from ACC or even given full information about the breach".
WRC is concerned that the ACC systems that allow such breaches to happen are not adequate to ensure that the very personal and private information contained in sensitive claims files is treated with the confidentiality it needs.
"We question how 9000 names and case numbers would come to be in one spreadsheet rather than a secure database or how private client emails would be used on a fax at all" says Natalie Gousmett, "and we stand by our statements yesterday that ACC needs to investigate this and other breaches immediately and offer support and in some cases compensation for any trauma or damage caused".
Wellington Rape Crisis provides free counselling and support to hundreds of survivors of rape and sexual abuse of their families and friends every year and runs rape prevention education programmes through the Wellington Sexual Abuse Network.

http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/acc-privacy-breach-tip-iceberg/5/117613