NHS staff may have inappropriately accessed Southport victims' records

Two more NHS staff are under investigation over allegations they inappropriately accessed Southport stabbing victims' medical records.

Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust identified the cases while carrying out a "retrospective audit" of which staff had accessed information about the victims of the July 2024 attack on a children's dance class.

In May, the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG) admitted that nearly 50 of its staff had wrongly looked at victims' medical files.

A separate investigation is also being held at North West Ambulance Service Trust in relation to staff looking up the victims of the attack without authorisation.

Youngsters had been taking part in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at Hart Space in Southport when a knifeman fatally attacked Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar.

Eight other children and two adults were injured, including Leanne Lucas, who was helping to run the class, and businessman John Haynes, who tried to stop Axel Rudakubana.

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital said it was "carrying out an investigation into two potential instances of inappropriate access connected to the Southport incident".

It added: "The cases were detected as part of retrospective audit and two members of staff have been placed on precautionary suspension whilst an investigation is concluded."

It said the case had been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office and the health regulator the Care Quality Commission.

The trust's medical director Manoj Kuduvalli 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 patient's 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."

The data breach at UHLG happened at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool, where some of those injured were treated, in the days after the 29 July 2024 attack.

The BBC understands the three patients affected included Leanne Lucas and a 13-year-old girl who had been helping to supervise the dance class.

In May, UHLG described the breach as "inexcusable" and stressed that changes had been made, although no-one had been sacked.

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