PRINCESS Kate was reportedly made aware that hospital staff tried to view her medical records.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a probe into the “major security breach” alleged to have happened while the Princess of Wales was a patient at The London Clinic in January.
The ICO confirmed it has received a breach report and is “assessing the information provided”.
At least one member of staff was allegedly caught trying to access Kate’s medical records during her stay for planned abdominal surgery, the Mirror reports.
It is a criminal offence for any staff in an NHS or private healthcare setting to access the medical records of a patient without the consent of the organisation’s data controller.
An insider said: “This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the Royal Family.
“Senior hospital bosses contacted Kensington Palace immediately after the incident was brought to their attention.
“They assured the palace there would be a full investigation.”
The chief executive of the London Clinic said “all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken” when looking at alleged data breaches.
Al Russell said in a statement: “Everyone at the London Clinic is acutely aware of our individual, professional, ethical and legal duties with regards to patient confidentiality.
“We take enormous pride in the outstanding care and discretion we aim to deliver for all our patients that put their trust in us every day.
“We have systems in place to monitor management of patient information and, in the case of any breach, 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.”
Kensington Palace said: “This is a matter for The London Clinic.”
The hospital treats many members of the Royal Family and were caring for King Charles at the same time.
Maria Caulfield, health minister, this morning told Times Radio it is “extremely serious” that workers would try and access the Princess’ medical notes.
She said: “You can’t just randomly look at any patient’s notes. It’s taken extremely seriously, both by the information commissioner but also your regulator.
“If as a nurse, you are accessing notes that you haven’t got permission to access, they would take enforcement action against that.
“So it’s extremely serious. And I want to reassure patients that their notes have those strict rules apply to them as they do for the Princess of Wales.”
SHOPPING TRIP
Kate has been at the centre of wild speculation and conspiracy theories over her health ever since her operation.
A member of the public who filmed Kate shopping with William said he saw the Princess of Wales “with my own eyes” looking relaxed in Windsor.
Nelson Silva, 40, told trolls: “What more do you need to lay off her?”
Despite The Sun releasing Nelson’s exclusive video of her at Windsor Farm Shop on Saturday lunchtime, trolls were still pushing their bizarre claims yesterday.
Incredibly, some said it was a Kate lookalike while others claimed the woman in the footage was too tall to be Kate.
Another crazy claim was that the footage was taken in December as there are “Christmas decorations” in the background.
In under 24 hours the body-double rumours racked up more than 12million views on X/Twitter, and more than 11million on TikTok.
Engineer Nelson blasted the conspiracy theorists as “delusional”.
Speaking from the home he shares with his wife and daughter in the town, he said: “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. It was a completely relaxed situation.
“What more do you need to lay off her? I thought after this was released they’d go quiet. But these people are so invested in the drama now.
“They’ve put so much time and energy into these rumours and lies that they can’t pull the plug.
“Even famous people are guilty. People with a large platform online — they can’t admit they are wrong now because they look so delusional.”
Accounts in the US are dedicated to posting about Kate hourly. They often bear X’s blue tick checkmark of “authenticity”, which can be bought to ensure content is more prominent.
One TikToker posting from the US got 2.9 million viewers with her body-double video claims.
Nelson, 40, added: “People across The Pond are invested and they must never have laid eyes on Kate in real life.
“But all these people in the UK too, they say it’s not her, that is it a fake person.
“Well I can tell you it is not. Are they now going to question if I’m a real person as well?
“Are they going to say I made this video? Did I put a fake Kate there? It is ridiculous.
“At what point will they back off and realise they have been caught up in something that is crazy?”
'Lay off Kate'
THE Sun last week led the way in defending Princess Kate when she was being criticised from all angles over the edited photo saga.
Social media trolls were quick to attack the future Queen over her editing of a Mother’s Day family picture.
Media critics also weighed in with their opinions alongside the idiotic conspiracy theorists, but The Sun stood alone in saying: Lay off Kate.
Our front page blasted: “The furious attacks on the future Queen over her photoshopping of a Mother’s Day family picture are not just absurd.
“They now look like a bullying campaign against a devoted mum, recovering from a serious operation, who simply wanted to offer the public a perfect portrait of her and her kids.
“She meant well, made a mistake and fessed up. Fair enough.
“Now leave her alone to get over her op.”
Nelson had been shopping for steak when he saw the royal couple.
He said they looked “relaxed and happy”, adding: “I had about 40 minutes to kill and decided to get some produce. I went into the shop and at first I noticed their figures, they were standing near the bread.
“Then I saw Kate turn her head slightly, I was like, ‘Oh I know her’. They went to the meat section and I was stood behind them. They were talking to staff and laughing.
“I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the staff seemed overwhelmed in a nice way. When I went to pay for my produce, the girl at the counter was so shocked she was hardly breathing.
“Everyone in there was very excited. It was a really nice atmosphere. I went to the car and decided to take a video to share with my family in Portugal.
“I started to record as they (Kate and William) walked towards the car park. They just looked very happy and relaxed together.
“William was obviously protective of Kate and I quickly stopped recording because I didn’t want to make them uncomfortable.
“They walked towards fields at the back. I guess they could get back on to the Windsor estate that way.”
FAMILY WHATSAPP
Nelson shared the video with his family in Portugal over WhatsApp.
He added: “They were like, ‘Oh god, she’s alive! She hasn’t been seen since last year’. I’m not really into gossip and celebrities, I like to go fishing and to my allotment.
“I had no idea that Kate was so much in the news. I just wanted to share the video to say to my family,
“‘Look, I’ve just seen them. A normal couple shopping in the farm shop’. Not like they are usually seen in ballgowns in the public eye.
“My family sent screenshots of the rumours. I couldn’t believe how delusional people can be.
“On Monday my colleague said, ‘Do you realise that video could debunk all the rumours if it was put out there?’
“It shows she (Kate) is OK and getting better. To be honest, recording the video was totally out of my comfort zone but it was only for my family at the time.
“I’m still not comfortable in the spotlight. But I realised that this video of two people happy and shopping could help make all these rumours fall flat.”
Asked what he would say to the conspiracy theorists, Nelson said: “Get a hobby. Get something better to do with your day than this.
“I feel for Kate, after I saw her, it really hit me that, look, these are just two human beings.
“This is a mother who has had an operation and people should not be speaking about her in this manner.
“The people saying nasty things and jumping on the bandwagon, I think they just want to get likes. It is very sad. I’ve had operations and know what the recovery is like.
“Kate just wanted to take a walk with her husband. She looks well. I’d say, ‘Draw a line under it now’.”
Kate, 42, was last seen on public duty on Christmas Day. She then had planned abdominal surgery at The London Clinic on January 17.
Kensington Palace has always said she would be out of action until April.
It is now believed that she may return in mid-April after her three children’s Easter break.
