ACC Media statement

14 August 2013

ACC notebook stolen in house burglary

During a burglary at the house of an ACC case manager in Christchurch on 3 August, a notebook containing client information was among the items stolen.

ACC’s General Manager Claims Management, Sid Miller, said the handwritten notebook contained case details and a range of personal information relating to around 35 clients.

“Yesterday ACC began contacting clients that may be affected by the theft of the notebook, to explain the situation, and to unreservedly apologise for what has happened. We are committed to keeping affected clients fully informed, and to resolve any issues that might arise for them from this situation.

“At today’s training sessions, we will be reinforcing to staff the requirement that they adhere to document security policies.

“At this point we believe that the details of 35 clients are likely to be in the notebook. We are also contacting a further 89 clients as a precaution. We believe it is unlikely that their details are in the notebook, but they were clients of the case manager this year. So far we have contacted 83 people.

Mr Miller said the affected clients were all shorter-term, rehabilitation clients who had contacted ACC in the last 12 months.

“The case manager had the notebook at home because she had been working outside Christchurch, and she had been using the notebook as an aide memoir. It contained personal information such as accident and injury descriptions; claim numbers; bank account numbers, and contact details.

“ACC has very clear policies around the security of sensitive information. Employees are not allowed to take client information home, or email it to a home address, without prior approval from a senior manager, which would normally only be given on assurance of security of the information, usually by way of encrypted data and secure remote electronic access.

“We have had only a limited opportunity to discuss the situation with the case manager – who is on leave due to a family illness – but it appears the policy was not adhered to on this occasion.

“ACC had hoped Police investigations might lead to the rapid recovery of the notebook, so we would know exactly which clients to contact about the incident. However we were equally mindful of the need to inform potentially affected clients about the burglary as soon as it became clear there was unlikely to be a speedy resolution to the case.

“At this point we do not know if anyone has looked at the notebook. It is possible that the burglar discarded it because it has no value to them.”

ENDS

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