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Jess Ma

A Hong Kong intern doctor arrested on suspicion of unauthorised access to patient data has been released on bail after about 21 hours in custody and has reportedly been escorted 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 4.30pm on Saturday.
She was arrested at around 7pm on Friday on suspicion of accessing a computer with dishonest intent.
A force spokesman said the suspect was released on bail and was required to report to police again in early July.
Lai was reportedly taken back to Caritas Medical Centre, her former workplace, on Saturday at noon, with the suspect spotted in casual wear and wearing a face mask.
Police received a report from a doctor at the centre in Sham Shui Po on June 10. The Hospital Authority 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 from Caritas Medical Centre between May 13 and 14.

The authority said on Friday that it had dismissed the intern for misconduct, including breaches of medical ethics, patient privacy and professional confidentiality, as well as failure to follow instructions when performing medical procedures.
Offenders convicted of accessing a computer with dishonest intent face up to five years’ imprisonment.
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 that the institution respected the 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 not to have 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 of her knee and placing her feet on a machine, describing it as a “perk”.

Lawyer Alex Lam Chi-yau, who is a lay member of the council, explained that local medical school graduates must complete a 12-month internship, typically with the 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 has met standards.
If a graduate passes 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, investigated as part of any ongoing criminal proceedings, found guilty of misconduct by any professional bodies or 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 a conviction, but whether the offence was punishable by imprisonment,” Lam said, 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 launch a pre-registration inquiry to determine whether an application should be rejected.
“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.
During an inquiry, graduates will need to prove to council members why they should be allowed to practise despite brushes with the law or any professional misconduct.
Lam said the council could withhold their decisions for the inquiry until the relevant criminal proceedings or professional probes were settled.


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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

Caritas Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po. 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.


Hospital Authority

Caritas Medical Centre

The University of Hong Kong

Intern doctor released on bail, returns to hospital as part of police probe

.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