Ex-health worker cautioned for trying to sell Catherine's medical records

A former healthcare worker has been cautioned by the Information Commissioner’s Office for trying to obtain and sell the private medical records of Catherine, Princess of Wales. The ICO began its criminal investigation in March 2024 after a member of staff at the London Clinic was reported attempting to access the princess’s notes while she was a patient there for abdominal surgery earlier that year. The London Clinic, near Regent’s Park in central London, is the UK’s largest independent private hospital and is frequently used by royals. In a statement, a spokesperson for the hospital said: “We are pleased our work with the ICO has brought this sad and isolated incident to a conclusion. There were no regulatory breaches by the hospital.” The ICO described the caution as “the appropriate and proportionate enforcement response”, noting that there had been “deliberate misuse of highly sensitive personal information and an offer to disclose it for financial gain”. Their investigation found no evidence of “wider organisational issues arising from the healthcare provision in this matter”. Ian Hulme, the ICO’s executive director for regulatory supervision, said: “People should be able to trust that the personal information they’re giving to healthcare settings is safe and protected from exploitation. When this trust is broken, it’s right that the law allows us to take action.” Catherine had abdominal surgery at the clinic in January 2024 and stepped back from public duties during her recovery. Two months later, she revealed she had been receiving treatment for cancer. At the start of 2025, the princess confirmed she was in remission and gradually returned to more public events. On Monday, she was seen smiling and joking with other royals at the Order of the Garter service, a year after missing the event while undergoing cancer treatment.