Police ‘looking into’ Princess of Wales hospital security breach

Police have been asked to look into allegations that a member of staff at The London Clinic attempted to access the Princess of Wales’s private medical records, a health minister has said.

Maria Caulfield said there could be “hefty implications” for anyone who had unlawfully accessed notes without permission.

It has been reported that a member of staff at the private hospital in Marylebone attempted to access the Princess’s medical records while she was a patient there in January for 13 days her following abdominal surgery.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has already confirmed that it is looking into an alleged breach but Ms Caulfield, a former NHS nurse, said Scotland Yard could also be involved.

‘Very clear rules’

Speaking on LBC radio, she said: “I say this as someone who’s still on the nursing register, that the rules are very, very clear for all patients.

“That unless you’re looking after that patient, or unless they’ve given you their consent, you should not be looking at patients’ notes.

“So there are rules in place and the Information Commissioner can levy fines, that can be prosecutions, your regulator, so as a nurse my regulator would be the NMC [Nursing and Midwifery Council], can take enforcement action.”

Asked if the police should look into the matter, she said: “My understanding is that police have been asked to look at it – whether they take action is a matter for them.

“But the Information Commissioner can also take prosecutions, can also issue fines, the NMC, other health regulators can strike you off the register if the breach is serious enough.

“So there are particularly hefty implications if you are looking at notes for medical records that you should not be looking at.”

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “We are not aware of any referral to the Metropolitan Police at this time.”

A spokesman for the ICO said: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”

In a statement to The Mirror, The London Clinic said: “We firmly believe that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information.”

Kensington Palace said: “This is a matter for The London Clinic.”

The hospital in ­Marylebone is favoured by the royal family, political figures and celebrities for its discretion.

The Princess was admitted to the hospital for abdominal surgery on Jan 16.

Details of the Princess’s condition have not been disclosed but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related and that the Princess wished for her personal medical information to remain private.

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 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.