Title: Nurse Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Accessing Patients’ Medical Records
The Fifth Section of the Provincial Court of Pontevedra, Spain, has issued a verdict against a nurse employed by the Servizo Galego de Saúde (Sergas) in the health area of Vigo. The nurse has been sentenced to three years and ten months in prison, in addition to being fined 4,050 euros.
The nurse’s misconduct took place between January 17, 2016, and October 17, 2019. During this period, she accessed her former partner’s clinical history on 196 occasions and the clinical history of her ex-partner’s current romantic partner on 124 occasions, without any proper authorization.
Apart from the prison term and the fine, the court has also disqualified the nurse from her profession for nine years and prohibited her from approaching the victims for three years.
The court categorized the offenses as two continuous crimes of disclosure of secrets. However, the defendant’s gesture to compensate the victims for moral damages by depositing 12,000 euros was taken into account as a mitigating factor. Additionally, the aggravating circumstance of kinship was identified in the case related to her ex-partner, leading the court to order each victim to receive a compensation of 6,000 euros.
The nurse was also charged with a crime of discovering secrets related to her daughter. However, the court acquitted her of this charge, noting that she committed the act while her daughter was a minor and as the defendant had parental authority and custody.
The verdict highlights that the nurse accessed the complainants’ medical records without their consent or any valid medical justification. It is evident that the convicted nurse invaded the most personal and intimate aspects of the victims’ lives, obtaining information about their health conditions, medical treatments, and prescribed medications, which had never been disclosed to them by their ex-partner or current romantic partner.
This case serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding patient confidentiality and the severe consequences that can befall individuals who breach this trust. Healthcare professionals must adhere to ethical standards and respect the privacy of their patients at all times.
By: [Journalist’s Name]
Sources:
– Europa Press.
– Artificial intelligence-assisted content, reviewed by a journalist and an editor.