NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has agreed to improve data security after an unencrypted laptop with details of 6,377 applicants for medical training positions was stolen from its premises.

The information included names, addresses, phone numbers and summaries of the applicants, as well as monitoring information relating to equality and diversity.

The organisation informed the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) of the theft and chief executive Malcolm Wright has signed an undertaking confirming that he will take a number of steps to ensure personal information is kept safe and secure in the future.

Ken Macdonald, assistant information commissioner for Scotland, said password-protected laptops were not secure and urged organisations to encrypt information.

“I urge all organisations to restrict and encrypt the amount of personal information stored on portable devices that can be taken off site," he said.

"If personal details fall into the wrong hands, individuals can experience considerable distress."

In February the NHS was found to be responsible for more than 100 data breaches out of 277 reported in the previous three months. And in May, the ICO issued a further warning to the NHS over its lax attitude to data security.

Since then five more trusts have been warned by the ICO over data security.