NHS staff accessed Southport victims' records 'inappropriately', hospital trust admits

NHS staff accessed Southport victims' records 'inappropriately', hospital trust admits16 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJudith Moritz,Special correspondentandDaniel WittenbergPA MediaThe victims were all injured at a children's dance class in Southport's Hart StreetA hospital trust has admitted that nearly 50 staff members looked inappropriately at the medical records of victims of the Southport knife attack.The data breach happened at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool, where some of the injured were treated, in the days after the July 2024 attack but has only emerged this week.The BBC understands the three patients affected included a 13-year-old girl who had been helping to supervise the Taylor Swift-themed dance class that was targeted in the attack - and adult teacher Leanne Lucas. The NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG), which runs Aintree, said the breach was "inexcusable" and changes had been made - although no-one has been sacked.Lucas was stabbed five times in the attack, which killed three young girls and seriously wounded eight children and another adult. "I am absolutely devastated and horrified that my privacy has been invaded when I was at my most vulnerable," she said. "Nothing will take away my gratitude to the staff who saved my life, but 48 people not involved in my care abused their position of trust to access the files of victims who have suffered unspeakable trauma."Leanne Lucas was critically injured and required multiple surgeries after the attackIt is understood that the breach emerged as part of a standard information access audit carried out by the trust in the days after the attack.Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, from Fletcher's Solicitors which represents the teenage patient, said: "This is a deeply disturbing abuse of power and a shocking breach of privacy into the care of several Southport victims, including a young girl."Our client, who is now growing...