Hospital Breach: CEO of Clinic Speaks Out on Kate Middleton Investigation
The boss of the London hospital where the Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery in January says there will be punishment meted out after it became public that an employee tried to breach her medical records.
“Everyone at the London Clinic is acutely aware of our individual, professional, ethical and legal duties with regards to patient confidentiality,” London Clinic CEO Al Russell said in a statement Wednesday, according to the New York Post. “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.”
The hospital has “systems in place to monitor [the] management of patient information,” Russell said, and if there was a breach or attempted one as had been reported, “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,” Russell said.
At least one member of the hospital’s staff attempted to access Kate’s medical records, according to the U.K. Daily Mirror.
“This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the Royal Family,” a source described as an “insider” told the Daily Mirror.
“Senior hospital bosses contacted Kensington Palace immediately after the incident was brought to their attention and assured the palace there would be a full investigation. The whole medical staff have been left utterly shocked and distraught over the allegations and were very hurt that a trusted colleague could have possibly been responsible for such a breach of trust and ethics.”
A representative of Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office, an arm of the U.K. government that deals with data protection, indicated the report was real.
“We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided,” the representative said, according to the Daily Mirror.
Whether the breach was successful or not, no information about Kate has leaked since her surgery, prompting a round of conspiracy theories that went into overdrive recently when a photo that was released for Britain’s Mother’s Day was denounced for being manipulated, with Kate issuing a statement saying she did the manipulations herself in an inexpert attempt to use Photoshop.
Although Kate has made no public appearances since her surgery, a video that was released Monday is being called the real thing by an outlet that ran it, according to Newsweek.
The video and images show Kate and William, Prince of Wales, at a food shop in Windsor.
Matt Wilkinson, royal editor for the U.K. Sun, insisted the video and photos were genuine.
Nelson Silva, 40, said he was shopping and saw the royal couple.
EXCLUSIVE: Princess Kate seen on video for first time since surgery – and she’s looking great! Watch it here: https://t.co/zJALDJ05BV https://t.co/zJALDJ05BV
— The Sun (@TheSun) March 18, 2024
“This is a video clearly showing her and William. I saw them with my own eyes. It was a completely relaxed situation,” he told The Sun.
Wilkinson said that the Royal Family had the chance to intervene before The Sun published the material.
“The Sun spoke to Kensington Palace to explain what we would be publishing before we ran the footage and photos,” he said.
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