Ambulance bosses have been criticised after the unencrypted data of more than 45,000 patients was shared with NHS chiefs despite there being no justifiable legal reason to do so . South Western Ambulance Service sent seven discs of descriptive patient data relating to 45,431 people by recorded delivery to a Clinical Commissioning Group in October 2013 . But while the discs were in possession of the CCG they were found to be unencrypted . ;