Forty-eight staff members at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust unlawfully accessed the medical records of victims from the Southport stabbing attack on 29 July 2024. This breach, revealed nearly two years after the attack that left three children dead and ten injured, has sparked outrage among survivors and legal representatives.
Leanne Lucas, a dance teacher who survived the attack and waived her anonymity, said she was “absolutely devastated and horrified” by the unauthorised access to her confidential records. She condemned the trust for keeping this information from victims for almost two years and called for greater accountability over what she described as an attempted cover-up by senior management.
A routine audit carried out shortly after the stabbing identified 64 suspicious accesses to patient files. While 12 were legitimate and 4 involved former staff, the remaining 48 employees had no valid reason for viewing the victims’ sensitive information. Disciplinary measures ranged from informal counselling to final written warnings, but no dismissals were made.
Nicola Brook, Legal Director representing survivors, labelled the breach “truly unbelievable” and warned it reflected a damaging culture within the trust. She insisted meaningful consequences were needed to prevent future violations and criticised the trust’s reluctance to inform patients promptly.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust issued a formal apology and confirmed it had reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in August 2024. The ICO stated it was satisfied no data protection laws were broken, but reserved the right to investigate new evidence. The trust denied any cover-up but defended its initial decision not to notify patients immediately to avoid retraumatising victims.
The Southport stabbing occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event, killing three children aged six to nine and injuring ten others. Axel Rudakubana was jailed for life last year for the murders, marking one of the UK’s most tragic recent attacks.
This incident echoes similar privacy violations at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust involving victim records from the Calocane attacks.
Originally published by UKNIP.
