A FORMER Hywel Dda Health Board nurse has admitted accessing thousands of patient records illegally.

Elaine Lewis, who worked for the health board at Glangwili Hospital, appeared before Llanelli magistrates after she was charged with accessing information without permission from the health board over a two-year period between July 2013 and September 2015.

The court heard that 63-year-old Lewis had accessed records of over 3,000 patients from across the health board area without permission.

The case was brought by the Information Commissioner after being notified by Hywel Dda health board chiefs.

The health board revealed in July last year that it had discovered the significant data breach, but insisted that while patient records had been accessed, they had not been altered and no patient’s treatment was affected.

Hywel Dda chief executive Steve Moore said that Lewis, who was not named at the time, had claimed that she had accessed the records for her “own interest”. Lewis was dismissed by the health board after the data breaches were discovered.

Lewis, of Gwawr y Môr, Llansteffan in Carmarthenshire, was fined £650, but will also have to pay costs totalling £714.

Hywel Dda chief executive Steve Moore said: “We are satisfied that the Information Commissioner and the court have taken appropriate action against the individual in question and now that the investigation is complete we will be writing again to each patient directly affected by this matter to apologise and offer further support."

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