CONFIDENTIAL patient records have been stolen from a local hospital.

Now Huddersfield patients have been contacted by the hospital trust after the theft of a laptop sparked a security scare.

Around 1,500 patients yesterday received a letter from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, which told them that their details were among those that may have been accessed when the computer was stolen from Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.

Hospital bosses say the theft took place at the end of November and the device, which formed part of a machine which scans skeletal muscles, was in a locked office at the time.

The letter reads: “You had tests on this machine which does contain some personal information, names dates of birth and addresses.”

In most cases of security lapses which result in the loss of data the concern is that the information could help criminals access personal accounts for banking and online purchasing.

One patient who was scanned using the Electromyography (EMG) machine contacted the Examiner to say she had received the letter, but did not want to be identified.

She said: “It says if I have any concerns I should contact the hospital. Obviously there are concerns but what can they really do?

“I do appreciate being told that it took place and that it hasn’t been covered up, I’m a bit of a technophobe and I’m not exactly clear on what the loss of this kind of information would mean to me.

“They’ve said there were passwords on the computer so there has been some kind of security on the machine, and they’ve stepped it up in the hospital.

“Fortunately for me I’ve never had things like online banking and I don’t shop on the internet so I don’t think this kind of information will be that useful to anyone.

“It’s not the kind of letter you expect however and I think some people will be quite concerned.”

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust moved to issue a statement last night.

Medical director Yvette Oade said: “At the end of November it was found that part of an Electromyography (EMG) machine, a computer which drives it, had been taken from a locked office in the neurophysiology department at Calderdale Royal Hospital.

“The police were immediately informed about the theft and we have also increased our security precautions in the department.

“We have written to some of the department’s patients because limited personal data, such as names and dates of birth, was on the password-protected computer.”