The private hospital where Kate Middleton had surgery last night refused to disclose whether staff who allegedly tried to hack the royal’s medical records were still working there, UK Dailymail reports.
According to the report by Dailymail, Bosses at The London Clinic launched an urgent probe after it was claimed at least one staff member had attempted to access the Princess of Wales’ personal details after her planned abdominal surgery in January.
Mystery shrouded the scandal last night, with the prestigious clinic refusing to answer when it was first made aware of the alleged violation or if the staff responsible had been suspended as it investigates.
MailOnline has contacted the London Clinic for further comment. Data watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO) confirmed it had ‘received a breach report’ and was in the process of ‘assessing the information provided’.
Meanwhile, insiders at the hospital, based in Marylebone, central London, said staff had been ‘left utterly shocked and distraught’ that a ‘trusted colleague’ could have carried out such a ‘breach of trust and ethics’.
Kate Middleton is said to be aware of the allegations, while a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: ‘This is a matter for the London Clinic.’
The alleged breach of privacy comes as crazed conspiracy theories emerged after the Princess recovered in private following her procedure on January 16.
Disgraceful trolls on social media used Kate’s decision to recover away from the public limelight as an opportunity to spread baseless and hurtful claims.
‘Katespiracies’ included claims she was recovering from a ‘Brazilian bum lift’ or in a coma, a theory sparked by a Spanish journalist.
Other more sinister theories included that she was dead, had been replaced by a body double or that the Wales’ marriage was in trouble.
The London Clinic could not confirm the exact date the alleged breach is said to have taken place but the revelation came a day after footage emerged of Kate out and about in Windsor over the weekend.
Revealing the scandal, one insider at the hospital told the Mirror: ‘This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the Royal Family.
‘Senior hospital bosses contacted Kensington Palace immediately after the incident was brought to their attention and assured the palace there would be a full investigation.
‘The whole medical staff have been left utterly shocked and distraught over the allegations and were very hurt that a trusted colleague could have allegedly been responsible for such a breach of trust and ethics.’
It is a criminal offence for staff in any NHS or private healthcare setting to access the medical records of a patient without the consent of the medical provider’s data controller.
The Met Police told MailOnline it was unable to comment without knowing if the clinic had reported the incident to the force.
While the clinic refused to answer questions, it said it firmly believes ‘that all our patients, no matter their status, deserve total privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical information’.
Details of Kate’s condition have not been revealed but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer-related and that the Princess wished her personal medical information to remain private.
Upon announcing that Kate Middleton was undergoing surgery Kensington Palace said the Princess would be out of action until after Easter.
Despite laying out a clear timeline, her temporary step back from work led to a tsunami of speculation being made about the her condition on social media.
The absurd claims only intensified when the Princess took the blame for the family photograph released by Kensington Palace on Mother’s Day, which was ‘killed’ by six of the world’s top picture agencies over concerns that it had been ‘manipulated’.
The furor on social media led the Princess to make a personal apology on X, writing ‘Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.’