Healthcare worker cautioned for trying to sell Princess of Wales' medical records
Quick Look
- The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has cautioned a former healthcare worker for attempting to access and sell the private medical records of Catherine, Princess of Wales, while she was a patient at the London Clinic.
- The ICO found no evidence of wider organizational issues at the hospital.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
A former healthcare worker at the London Clinic was cautioned by the ICO for attempting to access and sell the medical records of Catherine, Princess of Wales, during her recovery from surgery. The ICO's investigation found no evidence of wider organizational issues at the hospital.
A former healthcare worker has been cautioned by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for trying to obtain and sell Catherine, Princess of Wales' medical records.
The ICO began their criminal investigation in March 2024, following a report that a member of staff at the London Clinic tried to access the princess's notes while she was a patient there for abdominal surgery earlier that year.
A spokesperson for the private hospital said: "We are pleased our work with the ICO has brought this sad and isolated incident to a conclusion. There were no regulatory breaches by the hospital."
The ICO said a caution was "the appropriate and proportionate enforcement response".
The privacy and data protection watchdog said there had been "deliberate misuse of highly sensitive personal information and an offer to disclose it for financial gain".
They added that their investigation did not find any evidence of "wider organisational issues arising from the healthcare provision in this matter".
The ICO's executive director for regulatory supervision, Ian Hulme, said: "People should be able to trust that the personal information they're giving to healthcare settings is safe and protected from exploitation.
"When this trust is broken, it's right that the law allows us to take action."
The London Clinic, near Regent's Park in central London, describes itself as the UK's largest independent private hospital and is frequently used by royals.
Catherine had abdominal surgery at the hospital in January 2024 and stepped back from public duties during her recovery.
Two months later, she revealed she had been receiving treatment for cancer.
The princess confirmed at the start of 2025 she was in remission from cancer and gradually returned to more public events after the end of her treatment.
On Monday, she was seen smiling and joking with other royals during the Order of the Garter service, a year after missing the event while receiving cancer treatment.
Open Questions
- What was the specific nature of the offer to sell the records?
- What disciplinary action was taken against the former healthcare worker?
- Were any other staff members implicated or investigated?
