Staff at the London Clinic could face enforcement action, including fines and prosecution, if they are found to have accessed the Princess of Wales’ medical records, a government minister has said.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield told Sky News: “Accessing notes without authorization is a very serious and serious matter.”
She was speaking at a private hospital over an initial report in the Mirror newspaper that at least one staff member tried to access Kate’s private medical records while she was receiving treatment in January. This comes after it was reported that the company had begun an investigation.
Hospital bosses “contacted Kensington Palace as soon as the incident was discovered and assured the palace that a thorough investigation would be carried out,” the Mirror said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Mr Caulfield said: [privacy and data watchdog] The Information Commissioner will take enforcement action against trusts and primary care practices, but as private health practitioners, regulators will take action as well.
He said it would be “very unfortunate” if the notes had been accessed, but that “there are very strict rules about which patient notes can be accessed” so it is difficult for health care workers to access patient notes. He added that the public should be reassured that access is limited. I take care of them and have their permission.
Furthermore, she added: “From a health point of view it is not acceptable to see someone’s notes, but it has been discovered and measures are being taken so people can feel safe if this happens, especially with electronic In Notes, it’s been discovered quite a bit.” If someone is accessing a note that shouldn’t be accessed, access it now. ”
Mr Caulfield later told LBC: “The Information Commissioner can prosecute and can impose fines. The NMC [Nursing and Midwifery Council]other health regulators may remove you from the register if the breach is sufficiently serious.
“So it has a particularly big impact if you’re looking at notes in medical records that you shouldn’t be looking at.”
A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office said on Tuesday: “We can confirm that we have received the breach report and are assessing the information provided.”
Kensington Palace said: “This is a London clinic issue.”
In a statement to the Mirror, the London Clinic said: “We strongly believe that all patients, regardless of their status, are entitled to complete privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information.”
Details of the princess’s condition and surgery have not been disclosed. Kensington Palace previously said this was not cancer-related and that they wanted her personal medical information to be kept private.
The investigation comes after a difficult period for the Princess of Wales, following the first official photos released to the media since undergoing surgery.
The image, released on Mother’s Day, was later withdrawn from circulation by a photo agency after concerns were raised about image manipulation.
The princess later issued a public apology, saying she was responsible for digitally editing the photo.
