Woman told she had cancer by data-breaching hospital worker
A woman in Cornwall was informed she had breast cancer by a hospital worker who illicitly accessed her medical records before her official consultation. The hospital trust apologized only after media intervention, highlighting ongoing concerns over NHS data breaches.
Why it matters
This incident exposes critical vulnerabilities in healthcare data privacy and the severe psychological harm caused by unauthorized medical record access.
Image caption, Pippa Boardman was told she had cancer by a hospital worker, days before her scheduled appointment with a consultant
South West health correspondent Published 21 October 2026, 06:28 BST A woman was told she had cancer by a hospital employee who accessed her record days before she was due to receive test results from her consultant.
Pippa Boardman, from Lostwithiel in Cornwall, said she had lost her dignity and privacy through the data breach at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. She said she did not receive an apology from the hospital until it was contacted by the BBC.
The trust said it was "truly sorry" and "appropriate action had been taken".
It added: "While we cannot disclose the details of individual employment matters, we want to reassure Ms Boardman that we have treated this extremely seriously."
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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