Tiger attack victim's medical records may have been improperly accessed by NHS staff

NHS staff may have improperly accessed information about a man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

William Chapman, 24, died after entering the enclosure at the Doncaster attraction last Saturday.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust said it believed two staff had accessed or tried to access "incident/medical information... without a legitimate reason to do so".

It said the concern had been identified following "proactive audits", and a investigation into the full circumstances was under way.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has been informed and the trust said it would keep Mr Chapman's family up to date.

An inquest into the incident opened on Thursday and heard he died from "multiple traumatic injuries" following contact with the five-year-old male Siberian tiger called Altai.

It was told he had previously been diagnosed with schizophrenia and suffered bouts of psychosis. His family have expressed concerns about his contact with mental health services prior to his death.

A full inquest is scheduled for March.

There have been other instances of NHS staff accessing medical information on high-profile cases without a legitimate reason.

A child attacked by a crocodile at a zoo in June had their records accessed by dozens of staff.

Southport attack survivor Leanne Lucas had her records inappropriately accessed and was not told until two years later. Eleven staff were also sacked for accessing the records of the 2023 Nottingham attack victims.

In September, 10 workers were removed from duty after being suspected of accessing the records of three-year-old Noah Woods, who was found dead in a Suffolk lake.

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The head of the NHS warned staff last month that they faced immediate suspension if caught.

A Sky News investigation found nearly 3,000 data breach cases had been investigated by the NHS since 2021, many involving ordinary patients. Just over 400 were referred to the ICO.

Some 67% of cases resulted in minor punishment - such as an informal, verbal, or written warning, or no further action.

But of the 134 who responded to our Freedom of Information requests, only 54 said they routinely looked for potential breaches.

(c) Sky News 2026: Tiger attack victim's medical records may have been improperly accessed by NHS staff