© Tom Blewitt & Zack Griffiths
An inmate at HMP Parc has had his confidential medical records leaked by a prison nurse while he was on remand, in what represents a serious breach of medical confidentiality and data protection law.
The nurse involved personally knew the inmate’s ex-wife and disclosed private medical information about the prisoner directly to her without any form of authorisation. As a result, the ex-wife became aware of the inmate’s day-to-day medical conditions and ongoing health issues while he was in custody.
The extent of the breach became clear during one incident when the inmate was taken to hospital for medical treatment. Upon arrival, his ex-wife was already present and waiting for him, demonstrating that details about his medical situation and movements had been shared in advance.
Medical information is classified as highly sensitive personal data under UK law. Prisoners retain the same legal right to medical privacy as any other individual, and healthcare staff are bound by strict professional and legal duties to protect patient confidentiality.
The disclosure of medical information without consent constitutes a breach of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Under Section 170 of the Act, knowingly or recklessly obtaining or disclosing personal data without the consent of the data controller is a criminal offence.
The incident has now been formally reported by the inmate.
HMP Prisons Justice Group is calling for immediate action and has urged South Wales Police to investigate the nurse responsible under Section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018.
The group states that personal medical data was knowingly disclosed without authority, placing the inmate’s privacy and rights at risk.
Although the name of the nurse involved is known, it is not being released publicly at this stage. The decision has been made to withhold the identity until the investigation process is completed.
Once the investigation concludes, the individual responsible will be formally identified.
The breach represents a significant failure in professional conduct and raises serious concerns about the handling of confidential medical information within the prison system.
HMP Prisons Justice Group 