A watchdog is looking into a potential security breach after the Princess of Wales’s medical records were allegedly accessed by hospital staff.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) confirmed that it was assessing a report of a breach at The London Clinic, where the Princess spent 13 days following abdominal surgery in January.
At least one member of staff is thought to have attempted to access the 42-year-old’s records, the Mirror reported.
The hospital in Marylebone is favoured by the royal family, political figures and celebrities for its discretion.
An ICO spokesman said: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”
Hospital executives are thought to have contacted Kensington Palace after the alleged breach came to light.
A spokesman told the Mirror: “We firmly believe that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information.”
They added: “This is a matter for The London Clinic.”
The Princess, whose absence from public life while she has been recovering from the surgery, has sparked a flurry of conspiracy theories about her health spreading across social media.
Despite being pictured visiting the Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday some claimed that a “lookalike” was used in her stead. Among them was Sonja McLaughlan, the BBC’s rugby specialist, who suggested a body double was being used.
‘Strict rules’
Following the ICO announcement on Tuesday, Maria Caulfield, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care, told Sky News that it was “pretty serious stuff to be accessing notes that you don’t have permission to”.
She said: “Just to reassure your viewers, these rules apply to all patients, so there are very strict rules about which patient notes you can access.
“You’re only allowed to access the patient notes you’re caring for, and with their permission, and there’s really strict rules.
“The Information Commissioner would take enforcement action against trusts or primary care practices, but also, as individual practitioners, your regulatory body… would take action as well.
“So it’s pretty severe, and it’s pretty serious stuff to be accessing notes that you don’t have permission to.”
She said it would be “very disappointing” if the notes had been accessed.
She added: “From a health perspective, it’s not acceptable to be looking at people’s notes, but it has been spotted and action has been taken so people can be reassured that if it does happen – particularly with electronic notes these days, it’s spotted pretty quickly if someone’s accessing notes that they shouldn’t be.”
Kensington Palace and The London Clinic were contacted for comment.
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