Kate hospital says any privacy breach would be investigated

The hospital where Catherine, Princess of Wales, underwent abdominal surgery has said "any breach" of patient information would be investigated.

It follows reports a staff member tried to access her medical information.

The London Clinic - frequently used by royals - said it had "no place" for those intentionally breaching the trust of patients or colleagues.

Earlier, the Information Commissioners' Office said it had received a "breach report" and was making inquiries.

Al Russell, chief executive of the London Clinic, said in a statement that all his employees were "acutely aware" of their "individual, professional, ethical and legal duties with regards to patient confidentiality".

"We take enormous pride in the outstanding care and discretion we aim to deliver for all our patients that put their trust in us every day," he continued.

"We have systems in place to monitor management of patient information and, in the case of any breach, all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken."

On Tuesday, the Daily Mirror reported that "at least one member of staff was said to have been caught trying to access" Catherine's medical notes.

The paper said an internal investigation had been launched at the private hospital, which has treated both the princess and King Charles III in recent months.

Mr Russell's statement made no direct reference to the claims about the Princess of Wales.

The UK's privacy and data protection watchdog has already confirmed receipt of a so-called breach report.

In a statement, the Information Commissioners' Office (ICO) said it was "assessing the information provided".

The Data Protection Act 2018 makes it a criminal offence in the UK to knowingly or recklessly obtain, disclose or retain personal data without the consent of the data controller.

This specific part of the law was most commonly used to prosecute those who had accessed healthcare and financial records without a legitimate reason, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

When asked about the alleged breaches at the London Clinic, Downing Street said there were clearly "strict rules on patient data that must be followed".

"I think we all want to get behind the Princess of Wales, and indeed the Prince of Wales, and we obviously wish her the speediest of recoveries," the prime minister's official spokesman added.

Catherine had abdominal surgery in January, spending almost two weeks at the London Clinic, and has stepped back from public duties while she recovers.

Kensington Palace previously said she would take time away from public-facing engagements until after Easter.

But the princess's absence has led to weeks of online speculation and conspiracy theories about her health.

At the end of February, her husband William unexpectedly withdrew from a memorial service for his godfather - with a "personal matter" being blamed.

Despite assurances from Catherine's spokesperson that "the timelines of the princess's recovery" had been made clear, curiosity around her whereabouts grew - particularly on social media.

This came to a head in early March when an image of Catherine and her three children was posted on the official X account of the Prince and Princess of Wales, to mark Mother's Day.

It was found to have been edited, leading to picture services around the world withdrawing it. The princess subsequently apologised "for any confusion", saying she "occasionally" experimented with editing photographs.

On Monday, a blurry video of Catherine and William leaving a farm shop was published by the Sun newspaper but instead of quelling suspicion, the footage has seemed to fuel it.

Social media users suggested the woman in the video was in fact a body double, but there was no evidence to suggest this was the case.

Kensington Palace has not denied the royal couple's outing, a trip clearly intended to be private.