Southport attack victims horrified as medical records ‘accessed by ambulance staff’

An ambulance trust has launched an investigation into whether staff improperly accessed records of Southport attack victims; The father of one of the victims claimed that the workers “just wanted to satisfy their own morbid curiosity.”

The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) did not inform patients or their families and did not discipline staff over the matter, HSJ reported.

One victim’s father accused staff of wanting to “satisfy their own morbid curiosity” and described the situation as “horrible”.

This follows revelations in May that dozens of staff at another NHS trust had looked at records without valid reason.

In the attack in July 2024, three girls, Alice da Silva Aguiar (9), Bebe King (6) and Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), were killed by Axel Rudakubana at The Hart Space, and 10 people were injured.

A March 2025 report prepared by Liverpool Group University Hospitals after its staff reviewed victims’ records was obtained by the HSJ through a Freedom of Information request.

It emerged that 10 people in the ambulance service may have had improper access to the incident.

At the time, it was decided by the NWAS data security lead that notifying patients was “not appropriate.”

He added that he would not formally discipline staff but would strengthen HR processes for future incidents.

News of the investigation at NWAS follows revelations in May that 48 staff at Liverpool Group University Hospitals had accessed Southport victims’ records without good reason.

Leanne Lucas, who was teaching at the Taylor Swift-themed dance event at the time and was one of three adults who survived the attack, said she was “devastated and horrified”.

Regarding the latest possible breach, he said: “Life has never been the same since July 29, 2024, and many people are still experiencing the trauma of that day.

“It is extremely distressing to learn of another potential data breach, particularly after staff at NHS University Hospitals in Liverpool inadvertently accessed my medical records. It feels like adding insult to injury.”

“You never think about the trust you have in public services like the ambulance service and hospitals until you need them the most.

“It is completely unacceptable to learn of such a breach of trust.

“I am now waiting to hear from the North West Ambulance Service as to whether my records have been accessed.

“Whatever the outcome, I hope there will be a thorough investigation, full transparency for everyone affected, and robust measures taken to ensure this never happens again.”

The father of one of the victims, aged just 13, who was treated at Aintree Hospital for stab wounds to his back, said: “This is a complete breach of trust in our darkest hours as a family and overshadows your feelings about the amazing work they do to save lives.

“It was already incredibly difficult to think that Aintree Hospital staff had unnecessarily investigated our daughter’s case, but to later find out ambulance staff had done the same and we only found out by scanning these documents is horrifying.

“They weren’t checking his condition, they just wanted to satisfy their own morbid curiosity.

“We don’t know what to believe as the trusts still cannot tell us for sure whether photographs of our daughter’s injuries were viewed by staff.

“Our daughter should have made the decision to share what happened to her, no one can now guarantee what data is shared and stored.

“They had many chances to tell us about it, but instead we were left to discover it two years later when we should have focused on healing and moving forward.”

NWAS CEO Salman Desai said: “We have identified concerns regarding the potential for improper access to patient records and are formally investigating the matter.

“As our investigations progress, we will contact families and patients who may have been affected.

“Improper access to patient information will be treated extremely seriously.

“We deeply regret the concern and distress this may cause.”

Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, associate solicitor at Fletchers Solicitors, said: “The recent string of patient data breaches have shown that there is a deep-seated culture of surveillance within the NHS.

“People who are seriously injured or dying should not have the added concern that they are being watched as they are rushed to hospital to fight for their lives.

“We would like to see a full review by NHS England of the current policy governing all NHS staff regarding inappropriate patient data breaches.”

There have been a number of cases in recent months where NHS staff have looked at medical records for no reason.

In June, Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) announced that an investigation had been launched after approximately 40 hospital staff accessed the medical records of a three-year-old child injured in a crocodile pit.

In May, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) said 11 staff had been made redundant and a further 14 had been prosecuted for improperly accessing medical records of stabbing victims in Nottingham.