The London Clinic, the elite hospital where Kate Middleton underwent abdominal surgery in January, issued a statement Wednesday after reports emerged that a staffer there tried to breach the Princess of Wales’ medical records.
Al Russell, the clinic’s CEO, said that “all appropriate investigatory, regulatory, and disciplinary steps will be taken” in the case of a breach, but he stopped short of confirming that one occurred.
“There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues,” he added.
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It’s the first comment to come from the London Clinic that directly addresses the drama, which has been heightened by Kate’s months-long disappearance from the public eye and her infamous photo editing gaffe on March 10.
At least one staffer at the clinic tried to access documents that detailed Kate’s health during her hospital stay, an insider told the Mirror on Tuesday.
That insider reportedly told the British tabloid that it was “a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital,” especially since it previously had an “unblemished reputation for treating members of the Royal Family” in the past.
Kensington Palace declined to address the report of a breach, saying in a statement, “This is a matter for The London Clinic.” No medical information from a supposed breach has leaked to the public.
The Mirror reported that its insider said Kate’s office at the palace was alerted to the attempted breach immediately, adding, “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.”
This week’s reported breach isn’t the first time Kate’s medical history has been part of an attempted invasion of privacy.
In 2012, a nurse connected two radio hosts who pretended they were Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles to a colleague at King Edward VII’s Hospital—a prank that revealed information about Kate’s treatment as she battled extreme morning sickness during her first pregnancy.
The nurse who connected the infamous call, Jacintha Saldanha, died by suicide just three days later.
