Yorkshire ambulance trust probes staff access to tiger victim's records
Yorkshire Ambulance Service is looking into two staff who may have viewed a dead man's medical records without good reason, the BBC and The Guardian reported. William Chapman was killed by a tiger at a wildlife park on October 10. The trust said its own checks found the problem, and it has reported it to the UK's data watchdog.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is investigating two staff members who may have looked at the medical records of a man killed by a tiger without a legitimate reason, the BBC and The Guardian reported Friday.
William Chapman died at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster on Saturday, Oct. 10, after climbing into a tiger enclosure, the outlets reported. Paramedics from the ambulance service attended and confirmed his death at the scene, according to the inquest, the BBC and The Guardian reported.
In a statement, the trust said there may have been "two instances involving two members of staff accessing or attempting to access incident/medical information following this incident without a legitimate reason to do so," the BBC and The Guardian reported. The trust said it had launched an investigation "to establish the full circumstances surrounding these potential breaches," the BBC reported.
"We take the confidentiality and security of patient information extremely seriously and have robust systems in place to protect information," the trust said, adding that the concern was found through its own proactive audits, according to the BBC and The Guardian. The trust has reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's data protection regulator, and has informed Chapman's family about its investigation, the BBC reported. The Guardian reported that the trust confirmed the details after being contacted by HSJ, a trade publication for NHS policy.
An inquest opened Thursday at Doncaster Coroner's Court and heard that Chapman died of multiple traumatic injuries, the BBC and The Guardian reported. The Guardian reported that a full inquest is set for March 18. His family has raised concerns about his contact with mental health services before his death, and a separate NHS trust is investigating that contact, The Guardian reported.
The wildlife park reopened Friday after being closed since the attack, The Guardian reported.
What we know: The ambulance trust is investigating whether two staff members looked at Chapman's records without a valid reason, and it has reported the matter to the data regulator.
What we don't: What the staff saw, why they looked, and whether they will face discipline.
Where outlets agree The BBC and The Guardian both report that Yorkshire Ambulance Service is investigating two staff members who may have accessed William Chapman's medical information without a legitimate reason.
Where they differ The BBC gives Chapman's age as 24, while The Guardian gives it as 23.