Southport attack victims horrified as medical records ‘accessed by ambulance staff’

Southport attack victims horrified as medical records ‘accessed by ambulance staff’ Dozens of workers at another NHS trust had also looked at records with no good reason - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments An ambulance trust has launched an investigation into whether staff inappropriately accessed the records of victims of the Southport attack — as one victim’s father claimed workers “wanted to satisfy their own morbid curiosity”. North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) did not inform patients or their families and did not discipline staff over the matter, the HSJ reports. The father of one victim accused staff of wanting to “satisfy their own morbid curiosity” and described the situation as “appalling”. It comes after it emerged in May that dozens of workers at another NHS trust had looked at records with no good reason. Three girls – Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven – were murdered by Axel Rudakubana at The Hart Space, while 10 others were injured, in the attack in July 2024. A March 2025 report by University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, which was produced after its own staff looked at the records of victims, was obtained by the HSJ from a Freedom of Information request. It revealed 10 individuals in the ambulance service may have inappropriately accessed the incident. At the time it was decided it was “not appropriate” to inform the patients by the NWAS data security lead. It added that it would not formally discipline staff, but would bolster HR processes for future incidents. News of the probe at NWAS comes after it emerged in May that 48 staff at University Hospitals of Liverpool Group has accessed the records of Southport victims with no good reason. At the time, Leanne Lucas, who was the instructor at the Taylor Swift-themed dance event and is one of the three adult survivors of the attack, said she was “devastated and horrified”. Speaking of the latest potential breach, she said: “Life has never been the same since 29 July 2024, and so many people are still living with the trauma of that day. “To now learn of another potential data breach is deeply upsetting, particularly after staff at NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool wrongly accessed my medical records. It feels like insult added to injury. “You never really think about the trust you place in public services, such as the ambulance service and hospitals, until you need them most. “To learn that trust may have been breached in this way is simply unacceptable. “I am now waiting to hear from North West Ambulance Service as to whether my records were accessed. “Whatever the outcome, I hope there is a thorough investigation, full transparency for everyone affected, and robust measures put in place to ensure this can never happen again.” The father of one of the victims, who was just 13 when she was treated at Aintree Hospital for a stab wound to the back, said: “It is a complete breach of trust in our darkest hours as a family and dampens how you feel about the amazing work they do to save lives. “It was already incredibly difficult to think that staff at Aintree Hospital had needlessly pried into our daughter’s condition, but to then learn that ambulance staff have done the same and we have only found out by raking through these documents is appalling. “They weren’t checking on her condition, they just wanted to satisfy their own morbid curiosity. “The Trusts are still unable to tell us with certainty whether photographs of our daughter’s injuries were viewed by staff, so we don’t know what to believe. “The decision to share what happened to her should have been our daughter’s to make, now nobody can guarantee what data was shared and retained. “They’ve had multiple chances to tell us about this but instead we have been left to discover it all two years later, when we should be focusing on recovering and moving forward.” Salman Desai, NWAS chief executive, said: “We have identified concerns about potential inappropriate access to patient records and are formally investigating the matter. “We will contact families and patients who may have been affected as our inquiries progress. “Any inappropriate access to patient information will be treated extremely seriously. “We are deeply sorry for the concern and distress this may cause.” Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, associate solicitor at Fletchers Solicitors, said: “The recent string of patient data breaches has shown there is a deep-rooted culture of snooping within the NHS. “People who are seriously injured or dying should not have the added worry that they are being pried on, as they are rushed into hospital fighting for their lives. “We want to see a full review by NHS England of the current policy governing all NHS staff on inappropriate patient data breaches.” There have been a string of cases of NHS staff looking at medical records without reason in recent months. In June, Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) said it was investigating after the medical records of a three-year-old boy hurt in a crocodile pit were accessed by around 40 members of hospital staff. And in May, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) said 11 members of staff had been dismissed and a further 14 have had actions taken against them for inappropriately accessing medical records of the Nottingham stabbing victims. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] IHEBARN ROAD