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Pippa Boardman, a resident of Lostwithiel in Cornwall, experienced a distressing breach of privacy when a hospital employee accessed her medical records without authorization and informed her she had cancer days before her official test results were due. This incident took place at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. Boardman expressed that the violation caused her to lose both her dignity and privacy. Despite the seriousness of the breach, she did not receive an apology from the hospital until the BBC intervened.
According to the hospital trust, it was “truly sorry” about the incident and confirmed that “appropriate action had been taken” in response to the situation. The trust emphasized the sensitive nature of employment matters related to the case but assured Boardman that it was handled with the utmost seriousness. Boardman herself revealed that the individual involved was someone she only knew in passing through her sporting activities. She recounted the experience: “I got a phone call at home from somebody I know through the sport that I play. This man said to me ‘Pippa, I don’t want you to worry, but you’ve got cancer’. I just couldn’t really believe it.” Two days later, her consultant officially confirmed the diagnosis of breast cancer.
Although Boardman is now recovering well from her illness, she stated that the emotional damage caused by the breach has had a lasting effect: “I lost my dignity and I’ve lost my privacy.” She criticized the hospital’s handling of her complaint, saying it was distressing that her rights seemed to be overlooked while the breacher’s rights were protected. She explained, “It really distresses me people can’t see just how invasive and intrusive it is if somebody looks at your information and then shares it inappropriately… It took a lot of courage to complain… and I didn’t understand why the hospital wasn’t really prepared to engage with me. I understand that it’s because his rights have to be protected. But I kept thinking where are my rights in this.”
In response, the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust acknowledged that although the staff member had legitimate access to Boardman’s records as part of their role, contacting her directly was outside the bounds of their responsibilities. The trust recognized the distress caused and reiterated that an immediate investigation was launched following Boardman’s complaint. Staff were reminded that patient records should only be accessed for legitimate, work-related reasons. Additionally, the hospital is reviewing existing policies in line with updated NHS England guidance designed to prevent inappropriate access to patient information. This incident has come amid wider concerns over NHS data breaches, which Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has described as “a disgrace.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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