Did UK hospital staff try to snoop on Princess Kate’s medical records? Privacy watchdog investigates

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LONDON, March 20, (AP): A British privacy watchdog said Wednesday it is looking into a report that staff at a private London hospital tried to snoop on the Princess of Wales ’ medical records while she was a patient for abdominal surgery.
The Information Commissioner’s Office said: “We can confirm that we have received a breach report and are assessing the information provided.”
The Daily Mirror newspaper reported that at least one staff member at the London Clinic tried to look at Princess Kate’s notes during her stay there in January.
Kate had surgery at the clinic in central London on Jan. 16 and was discharged almost two weeks later.
Kensington Palace, the office of Kate and Prince William, said the report was “a matter for the London Clinic.” The London Clinic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield said police had been asked to look into the matter.
“Whether they take action is a matter for them,” she told LBC radio.
“But the Information Commissioner can also take prosecutions,” she added. “So there are particularly hefty implications if you are looking at notes for medical records that you should not be looking at.”
Kensington Palace has given little detail about Kate’s condition beyond saying that it wasn’t cancer-related, the surgery was successful and recuperation will keep the princess away from public duties until April.
Even though that time has not elapsed, the princess’ absence from public view has fueled a tide of speculation, rumor and conspiracy theories.
On March 10, William and Kate’s Kensington Palace office released a photo of Kate and her children George, Charlotte and Louis to coincide with Mother’s Day in the UK. The move backfired when The Associated Press and other news agencies retracted the picture from publication because it appeared to have been manipulated, fueling even more conjecture.
Kate issued a statement acknowledging she liked to “experiment with editing” and apologizing for “any confusion” the photo had caused.

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