UK: Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust data breach exposed health details of 7,715 staff
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust exposed sensitive health information for nearly 8,000 current and former staff when a spreadsheet containing hidden sickness data was published in February 2023. The Trust has acknowledged that the breach caused significant distress, loss of trust, and ongoing anxiety among those affected.
Why this matters: The people exposed here are NHS workers, not patients. They trusted their employer with medical details they had no choice but to share. A hidden field in a spreadsheet wiped out that trust. Health data is about as personal as it gets — it can affect jobs, insurance, relationships, and how people see themselves. When an employer leaks it through careless file handling, the harm is real and lasting. The question is what accountability looks like for the people who published that file.
Who should care: Cybersecurity · Privacy officers · Administrators · Healthcare professionals · Compliance
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