HSE ‘spied on ambulance staff’

The HSE has been accused of spying on its ambulance staff for at least five years after it emerged that internal phone calls between paramedics are recorded — with some files later used in disciplinary cases.

The data protection breach, which is with Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes and which the HSE described as “unacceptable”, is now the subject of an independent review set up by health service bosses.

Details revealed yesterday show that, since 2009, all ambulance personnel have effectively been under surveillance while using work phones.