Twelve NHS laptops are stolen after 20 go missing from storeroom

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's privacy watchdog, and the police have begun an investigation into the missing computers, which could contain sensitive personal data.

The machines are among 20 which were lost from a storeroom belonging to London Health Programmes, an NHS research organisation which works with London's hospitals to improve services.

The laptops were lost three weeks ago, but have only just been reported missing to police and the ICO. Eight have since been recovered.

The records contain no names but do include other identifying information such as age, gender, postcode, medical history, hospital visits, HIV status and mental illness.

NHS North Central London claimed that any data on the laptops would have been deleted after being used, and that the risk that any patients would be identified was minimal.

"NHS North Central London and the Metropolitan Police are investigating the theft of 12 laptops. One of these laptops was used to analyse hospital statistics," the NHS said in a statement.

"London Health Programmes routinely audits a large amount of data to track the care that patients receive. The data did not include patient names. The data was deleted from the laptop after it was analysed, in line with our standard procedures," the statement said.

"We currently believe there is a very low risk that any data could be recovered from the laptop of that patients could be identified from the loss of this data. We take any potential data breaches very seriously and a full investigation is underway. We are working closely with both the Metropolitan Police and the Information Commissioner."

Since 2010 more that 2,600 patient records have been lost in 65 reported incidents in London, according to the BBC.

NHS North Central London covers five London boroughs – Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.

"Any allegation that sensitive personal information has been compromised is concerning and we will now make inquiries to establish the full facts of this alleged data breach," the ICO said in a statement.