MINISTERS were plunged into another data loss storm last night after nine NHS trusts admitted losing patients' information.

Hundreds of thousands of people are thought to have been affected by the breaches of strict data protection rules by the health service.

Critics said the disclosure raised fresh questions about the Government's handling of confidential personal data and the future of a new centralised IT system for the NHS.

It follows anger at the loss of child benefit claimants' details by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and those of three million learner drivers by a DVLA contractor.

Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association's GPs' committee, suggested yesterday the Government was not serious enough about data security.

"Patients need to be absolutely confident that the information that is held securely cannot be lost in some haphazard way as appears to be the case today," he told the BBC.

He said the development was especially worrying given the Government's plans for a centralised NHS computer network, Connecting for Health, featuring every patient's records.

Dr Vautrey added: "It's vitally important that any development of centralised systems is done in a careful and measured way."

Joyce Robins, co-director the patient support group Patient Care, said yesterday's findings were the "tip of the iceberg" and also urged ministers to reconsider the Connecting for Health programme.

"Given the carelessness and lack of accountability in the NHS, this could be the end of patient confidentiality," she said.

"It may be only a matter of time before records fall into the wrong hands and we see not only our ex-directory phone numbers posted on the internet, but the record of our abortions, HIV and Aids status."

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "This is further evidence of the Government's failure to protect the personal information which we provide."

NHS trusts have reported ten incidents of data loss to the Department of Health (DoH) since the HMRC row broke last month.

The DoH said it did not have details of how many patients were affected in each case, as the breaches were being dealt with locally.

However, City and Hackney Primary Care Trust has reportedly lost the details of 160,000 children after a computer disc failed to arrive at its destination.

Another of the trusts involved - Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells - has reported two breaches.

The others involved are: Bolton Royal Hospital; Sutton and Merton PCT; Sefton Merseyside PCT; Mid-Essex Care Trust; East and North Hertfordshire; Norfolk and Norwich; and Gloucester Partnership Foundation Trust.

A DoH spokesperson said: "There is no evidence of any data falling into the wrong hands.

"Investigations are under way in all the trusts involved and action will be taken against anyone who has failed to fulfil their legal responsibilities."