Two Erasmus hospital employees fired for unauthorized access to patient records

Two employees of Erasmus MC have been dismissed with immediate effect for unlawfully accessing patient records, the hospital reported. Three other employees also viewed patient data without authorization, but were not dismissed.

Altogether, the staff viewed the records of 34 patients. The hospital spokesperson said it is unclear whether any of them were celebrities or personally known to the employees.

The two employees who were dismissed lost their jobs “because of the nature and seriousness of their unauthorized access.” The other employees faced disciplinary actions, including transfers to other departments. The hospital declined to give further details.

Paul Boomkamp, a board member, said in a press release that the affected patients have been informed personally and offered apologies. “Medical data is personal and confidential, and the trust patients place in us is vital for quality care. We are committed to restoring that trust and preventing similar incidents in the future.”

The incident has been reported to the Dutch Data Protection Authority, which is standard procedure for a data breach.

Unauthorized access to patient records by hospital staff appears to be on the rise. Recently, two employees were dismissed from Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Dordrecht for this reason. Similar incidents occurred in 2021 at Bravis Hospital in Brabant and in 2018 at Haga Hospital in The Hague, where staff accessed the file of reality star Barbie without consent.