Many organisations now take advantage of specialist shredding services to help ensure they conform to data protection laws.However, local councils and the NHS may have to start being more rigorous in terms of the way they deal with sensitive information, it has been suggested. The Information Commissioner has claimed that compulsory data protection audits of councils and the NHS are needed, the BBC reports.
Speaking to MPs, Christopher Graham stated that unnecessary mistakes are being made when it comes to confidential information. He went on to suggest that taxpayers are losing out when public bodies are fined for these mistakes.Mr Graham added that consensual, voluntary audits in some areas have already proved a success, but added that the Department for Communities and Local Government was “surprisingly opposed” to the proposal.
Giving evidence to the Commons Justice Select Committee, he said: “Until local government gets the message, local council taxpayers will continue to be hit by civil monetary penalties for really basic stupid errors.”
Given the importance of effective information handling, it is no surprise that many organisations in both the public and private sectors take advantage of specialist shredding services.
