Leanne Lucas says she is devastated after staff were found to have accessed victims’ medical records without legitimate reason. University Hospitals of Liverpool Group says disciplinary action was taken and regulators were informed.
A significant privacy breach has come to light involving the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, where 48 hospital staff members inappropriately accessed the confidential medical records of victims from the Southport attack. The incident occurred in the days following the event, which resulted in the tragic deaths of three young girls: nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and six-year-old Bebe King. Numerous other individuals were also injured during the attack.
The trust responsible for the hospitals launched an internal information access audit after the incident, confirming that nearly 50 staff members had viewed the victims' files without any legitimate professional justification. These employees are now facing disciplinary action as a result of their unauthorized actions. Affected victims and their families were only informed of this breach in recent weeks.
The disclosure has caused immense distress to those impacted. Leanne Lucas, who was leading a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop when the attack occurred, expressed her devastation and shock at the abuse of trust, labeling the incident a "new low" for the victims. The legal representatives for the survivors argue that this breach of sensitive data is symptomatic of a broader cultural issue rather than an isolated instance of individual misconduct.
Chief Executive James Sunner explained that the decision to delay informing the patients was made to carefully consider the potential psychological impact, given the already traumatic circumstances. The trust officially reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office in August 2024 and confirmed that all relevant regulators had been notified. As the organization addresses the aftermath of this unauthorized access, the focus remains on the accountability of the staff involved and the ongoing support for the families and survivors affected by both the original attack and this secondary violation of their privacy.
