Hospital employee charged with theft of patient ID’s

The national ID card Hospital employeeSample Norwegian ID card - not yet issued. Photo : Politiet

Hospital employee charged with theft of patient ID’s

A female hospital employee at Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital in Oslo is charged with tens of attempted and successful purchases using patient identities.

 

From 2012 to 2015, the woman allegedly obtained and made printouts of sensitive information about patients.

The information the woman used to buy phones, tablets, headphones and hygiene products, according to the accusation. Through eleven purchases and bank withdrawals, she allegedly swindled about NOK 80,000 from five patients between March 2016 and March 2017.

The prosecution also believes that the woman in her thirties failed with 15 attempts to buy goods for a total of more than NOK 150,000. The last attempt was made on the same day that she was arrested at her home in Oslo.

At least 56 persons

When arrested in March last year, the police found a notebook containing sensitive personal data of about at least 56 persons. The seizure included an iPad found containing “lots of medical references and other health related documents addressed to the hospital”.

The police also found several bank cards and drivers licenses, as well as a number of scanned images of similar identity papers belonging to patients at the residence of the hospital employee.

– We have just received the indictment, and it is too early for me to say anything about the case as of yet, says the woman’s defense lawyer, Gunhild Lærum, to NTB.

Comprehensive charge

The comprehensive charge against the woman consists of gross fraud and attempted fraud, as well as identity thefts. She is also charged with two cases of breach of the provisions in the Health Care Act concerning the handling of sensitive information.

As 200 millilitres of GHB were found at the woman’s home at the arrest, she is also charged with breaches of the Medicine and Drugs Act.

– This is a former staff member who no longer works for us. The reason for her quitting her job is within the category of personnel cases, which we do not comment on. It is the prosecuting authorities that must comment on the background for the charges, writes Communication Director at Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital, Tone Hærem, in an email to NTB.

The trial will come up before the Oslo District Court from October 29th to November 2nd.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today