The data breach in which attempts were made to access the Princess of Wales’s medical records was not reported to the authorities for more than seven days after she was discharged from an exclusive London hospital, it has been claimed.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has confirmed it is probing claims that staff at the London Clinic tried to view confidential information about the royal while she was a patient for abdominal surgery.
The privacy watchdog is also understood to be looking at the time it took for them to be told about the breach, the nature and extent of which has not been revealed.
An ICO statement said: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”
Kate was admitted on January 16, with rules stating that such incidents need to be reported within 72 hours of being discovered if there appears to be the possibility of such a breach threatening an individual’s rights or freedoms.
However, according to the Mirror, no such report was received for more than a week after the Princess was discharged on January 29.
One insider claimed three people were being investigated, suggesting police could also get involved in the “unique case”.
They explained: “The IOC will deal with anything as a criminal matter which could end up in a Magistrate’s Court, but if there were further claims of wrongdoing such as a conspiracy to distribute illegally accessed information, then that could be a matter for the police.”
Kensington Palace, the office of Kate and husband Prince William, said that the report was “a matter for the London Clinic”.
Speaking on Wednesday, Al Russell, the hospital’s chief executive, said: “All appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken.
“There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues.”
Health Minister Maria Caulfield yesterday confirmed police had been asked to look into the matter, telling LBC: “Whether they take action is a matter for them.
“But the Information Commissioner can also take prosecutions. So there are particularly hefty implications if you are looking at notes for medical records that you should not be looking at.”
The Marylebone clinic, less than two miles from Buckingham Palace, has treated several members of the Royal Family over the decades.
King Charles III spent a weekend there in January undergoing a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate. Soon after, the palace said that doctors had diagnosed the King with an unspecified form of cancer.
Charles, 75, has withdrawn from public duties while he undergoes cancer treatment – a period that has coincided with Kate’s recovery period away from the public eye.
Kensington Palace has given little detail about Kate’s condition beyond saying that it is not cancer-related, the surgery was successful and recuperation will keep the Princess away from public duties until April.
Even though that time has not yet elapsed, the Princess’ absence from public view has prompted numerous conspiracy theories.
On March 10, William and Kate’s Kensington Palace office released a picture of Kate and her children George, Charlotte and Louis to coincide with Mother’s Day.
The move backfired when The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted the picture from publication, because it appeared to have been manipulated, fuelling even more conjecture.
Kate subsequently issued a statement acknowledging that she liked to “experiment with editing” and apologising for “any confusion” the photo had caused.
The gossip has not been quieted by footage which seems to show Kate and husband Prince William visiting a farm shop near their Windsor home on the weekend, prompting wild claims that the clip did not show Kate but a lookalike.
Nelson Silva, a local resident who said he shot the brief film, told The Sun that conspiracy theorists were “delusional”.
He added: “I’m not so much shocked that these comments have continued, I’m just confused how exactly they can continue.
“This is a video clearly showing her and William. I saw them with my own eyes.”
