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Jess Ma

A Hong Kong intern doctor arrested on suspicion of unauthorised access to patient data has been released after about 21 hours in custody and has reportedly been taken back to her former workplace for evidence collection.
A source told the South China Morning Post that the 24-year-old woman, surnamed Lai, was released from Cheung Sha Wan Police Station at around 4pm on Saturday.
She was arrested at around 7pm on Friday on suspicion of accessing a computer with dishonest intent.
Lai was reportedly taken back to Caritas Medical Centre, her former workplace, on Saturday noon, with the suspect spotted in casual wear and donning a face mask.
The arrest came within three days of police receiving a report from a doctor at the medical centre in Sham Shui Po on June 10. The Hospital Authority also fired her on Friday for misconduct.
The source said preliminary investigations found the intern used an account not assigned to her to access patient records at Tuen Mun Hospital on a device at the medical centre between May 13 and 14.
The Hospital Authority said on Friday that it had dismissed the intern over a series of misconduct incidents, including breaches of medical ethics, patient privacy and professional confidentiality, as well as failure to follow instructions when performing medical procedures.
The source previously confirmed that the 24-year-old’s internship was due to end on June 30.

A spokesman for the University of Hong Kong’s medical school said on Friday evening the university respected the Hospital Authority’s decision as the employer, and had initiated an independent “fitness-to-practise” assessment of the intern.
He added that a report would be submitted to the Medical Council if the intern was found to have not met professional standards.
An SCMP search found that the intern, who identified herself online as “Angel”, had cleared her social media accounts.
She had previously posted details of her career and personal life online, including photos of herself undergoing X-ray examinations on her knee and placing her feet on a machine, describing it as a “perk”.
Alex Lam Chi-yau, a solicitor who is a lay member of the Hong Kong Medical Council, explained that local medical school graduates needed to complete 12 months of internship, typically with the Hospital Authority, and obtain a certificate of experience before they could register to practise as doctors.

After an internship, a graduate’s medical school will conduct a “fitness-to-practise” assessment to evaluate whether the intern’s work performance met standards.
If a graduate has passed the assessment, the university will issue a certificate of experience.
Graduates then need to apply to be entered into a general register, which lists all doctors authorised to practise in the city.
For the applications, graduates also need to declare whether they have been convicted of any criminal offences punishable with imprisonment, were investigated in any ongoing criminal proceedings, found guilty of misconduct by any professional bodies or were investigated for professional misconduct of any sort.
The declarations cover cases in Hong Kong and the rest of the world.

“It’s not about whether the graduate has been convicted to imprisonment, but whether the offence was punishable by imprisonment,” Lam explained, adding that careless driving was the most common offence he had seen graduates declare.
He said the council would then determine whether it was necessary to instigate a pre-registration inquiry to decide whether these applications should be rejected or not.
“We don’t need to launch an inquiry if the matter was minor. Serious cases like dishonesty and sexual offences are matters that will trigger an inquiry,” he said.
Graduates also need to prove to council members why they should be allowed to practise in spite of their brushes with the law or professional misconduct records during an inquiry.
Lam said the council could withhold their decisions for the inquiry until relevant criminal proceedings or professional probes were settled.
Offenders convicted of accessing a computer with dishonest intent face up to five years’ imprisonment.


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Crime in Hong Kong

The suspect, a woman surnamed Lai, leaves police custody. Photo: Dickson Lee

The SCMP found that the suspect had previously posted details of her career and personal life online. Photo: Handout

Lai leaves custody on Saturday. She was arrested at around 7pm on Friday on suspicion of accessing a computer with dishonest intent. Photo: Dickson Lee

The arrested intern previously posted photos of herself undergoing X-ray examinations on her knee, describing it as a perk. Photo: Handout

The 24-year-old intern was arrested after police received a report from a doctor at Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po on June 10. Photo: Jelly Tse

A South China Morning Post search found that the intern, who identified herself online as “Angel”, had cleared her social media accounts. Photo: Handout

The arrest came within three days of police receiving a report from a doctor at Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po on June 10. Photo: Dickson Lee

Trainee doctor reported to police for allegedly accessing patient records illicitly

The trainee posted photos on social media of having X-ray sessions on her knee. Photo: Handout

Intern doctor arrested for allegedly accessing patient data without authorisation

The intern allegedly accessed a clinical medical system using another person’s account without authorisation at Caritas Medical Centre. Photo: Jelly Tse

A photo posted on social media by user “Angel” showing her undergoing an X-ray on her knee, which she described as a “perk.” Photo: Handout

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Woman, 24, dismissed by Hospital Authority for misconduct could face up to five years in prison over alleged access of patient data


Woman, 24, dismissed by Hospital Authority for misconduct could face up to five years in prison over alleged access of patient data.


Caritas Medical Centre

Hospital Authority

The University of Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Woman, 24, dismissed by Hospital Authority for misconduct could face up to five years in prison over alleged access of patient data

Woman, 24, dismissed by Hospital Authority for misconduct could face up to five years in prison over alleged access of patient data