Overview
- The Information Commissioner’s Office closed a criminal probe on Thursday and issued a formal warning to a former London Clinic employee for trying to access and sell confidential patient records, including files linked to the Princess of Wales.
- The ICO said the conduct amounted to the intentional misuse of highly sensitive personal information and described an offer to disclose those records for financial gain as a clear breach of trust.
- The London Clinic says it cooperated with the investigation, found the incident to be isolated, and has not been found in breach of regulation; reports say the worker left the hospital after an internal inquiry.
- UK law makes unauthorized access by health staff to patient records a criminal offence and the ICO has powers to prosecute, fine, or refer cases to police, but the regulator concluded a warning was the proportionate enforcement outcome after its review.
- The Princess of Wales, who had surgery at the clinic in January 2024 and later underwent cancer treatment, is understood to have been informed and is now in remission, and the case has raised fresh questions about staff access controls and patient trust in private hospitals.