Two staff members at a Liverpool hospital have been suspended while it investigates whether they accessed Southport victims' medical records without a legitimate reason. Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust confirmed it is carrying out a probe into two potential instances of inappropriate access connected to the Southport stabbings in July 2024.
Precautionary suspensions announced
The hospital, based at Broadgreen Hospital, confirmed the cases were detected as part of an audit. In a statement, it said: "Two members of staff have been placed on precautionary suspension whilst an investigation is concluded."
A spokesperson for the trust said those affected have been contacted and informed that an investigation is underway. The matter, first reported by the Health Service Journal, has also been passed to the Information Commissioner's Office and the Care Quality Commission.
Trust apologises for breach of trust
Manoj Kuduvalli, medical director for Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, said: "We are deeply sorry that this has happened. Our patients trust us with their most personal information at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives, and any inappropriate access to those records is a serious violation of that trust."
"We have been clear with all colleagues that patient records must only ever be accessed for legitimate reasons connected to their role and the patients' care. We will not accept behaviour that compromises patient confidentiality or undermines the trust our patients place in us. We have spoken to those that are affected and will keep them informed as our investigation continues."
It has not been confirmed at this time what roles the suspended hospital staff held or which victims allegedly had their records viewed.
Previous unrelated breach at Aintree Hospital
In May this year, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group confirmed nearly 50 staff members had looked inappropriately at the medical records of Southport victims. That data breach happened at Aintree Hospital, where some of the victims were treated, in the days after the attack.
It was reported that three patients were affected, including a 13-year-old girl who helped supervise the dance class and adult teacher Leanne Lucas. The trust said the breach was "inexcusable" and changes had been made, although no-one was sacked. The breach was understood to have emerged as part of a standard information access audit carried out by the trust in the days after the attack.
Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls - Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine - when he targeted a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. The then 17-year-old, now 20, also attempted to kill 10 others, including eight children. He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 52 years and is currently awaiting trial for allegedly assaulting prison officers during his time at HMP Belmarsh.
