A staff member allegedly tried to access Kate’s medical records during her stay (Picture: Reuters/Getty)
An elite London hospital famed for treating high society is under fire for reports of a royal medical record breach.
The London Clinic made headlines after an insider alleged that a staff member tried to access Kate Middleton’s medical records.
The Princess of Wales spent almost two weeks at the hospital in January where she underwent ‘planned abdominal surgery’.
The Marylebone clinic, on the corner of Devonshire Place in one of London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, has a long history of treating the royal family and A-list celebrities.
Here’s an inside look at the luxurious private hospital and its royal patients.
What is The London Clinic famous for?
The London Clinic’s royal links go all the way back to 1932, when the Queen Mother – who was then the Duchess of York – officially opened the hospital.
Since then, numerous royals have opened new facilities at the clinic. In 1989, King Charles opened a physiotherapy department, while Queen Elizabeth opened the clinic’s £80 million cancer facility in 2010.
Queen Elizabeth II visited Prince Phillip at The London Clinic in 2013 (Picture: Simon James/FilmMagic)
The hotel-like hospital has also treated members of the royal family over the years.
Princess Margaret received treatment for a benign skin lesion at the London Clinic in 1980, while Prince Philip stayed there in 2013 when he underwent ‘abdominal investigations’.
In January, both Kate and her father-in-law King Charles III received treatment at the hospital.
Charles underwent a ‘corrective procedure’ for an enlarged prostate and stayed at the clinic for three days.
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King Charles spent three days at the clinic (Picture: AP)
Kate, meanwhile, spent almost two weeks at the hospital while she recovered from abdominal surgery.
She wasn’t photographed arriving at or leaving the hospital, but her personal assistant Natasha Archer was spotted going in and out with flowers and other gifts. Prince William was also pictured visiting the clinic.
The London Clinic has treated many famous patients, including Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor, who received treatment for an injured knee there in 1963, and
Former Prime Minister David Cameron was born there.
A storied history
Aside from its famous patients, The London Clinic has been part of several historical moments.
It has several centres across Marylebone, including one on Harley Street on the same site where King George VI, Queen Elizabeth’s father, received revolutionary speech therapy treatment.
Princess Margaret leaving the Clinic (Picture: Alberto Botella)
King George VI suffered from a debilitating stammer which made him dread public speaking. He began seeing Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, who taught him breathing exercises that helped him manage the condition.
Gradually, George overcame his stammer with Lionel’s help, and the pair remained friends until George’s death in 1952.
The hospital is at 20 Devonshire Place (Picture: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The story was depicted in the Oscar-winning 2010 film The King’s Speech.
The hospital is also notable for its revolutionary plastic surgery work.
In 1932, the clinic opened the world’s first private plastic surgery unit where the ‘father of plastic surgery’ Sir Harold Gillies helped soldiers with war injures.
What is treatment at The London Clinic like?
The London Clinic, where treatments can cost tens of thousands of pounds, offers luxury services to its patients.
An award-winning in-house head chef serves up fresh meals, sourcing fresh fish from Cornwall and meat from Smithfields Market.
A breakfast spread made by The London Clinic’s in-house chefs
The hospital boasts a concierge service that helps patients book travel, accommodation, and restaurants. Guests can relax in private rooms with TVs and en-suite bathrooms.
Patients can call up at any time – even in the middle of the night – to book a same-day GP appointment, with prices starting from £60.
A stylish waiting area inside the Clinic (Picture: View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The cost of an overnight stay varies depending on the treatment being given.
A hip replacement, for instance, costs £15,175, while snoring surgery treatment will set you back £3000.
The hospital provides treatment for 155 conditions with state-of-the-art facilities. It has specialist wards for urology, gynaecology, thoracic surgery, orthopaedics, and spinal procedures.
One of the treatment rooms (Picture: View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The hospital offers a hotel-like service (Picture: View Pictures/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
It’s one of England’s largest private hospitals, treating around 23,000 inpatients and 110,000 outpatients per year.
The clinic also operates as a charity and carries out medical research and innovation projects.
The Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, gave The London Clinic a ‘Good’ rating in 2021, but said that surgery on-site ‘requires improvement’.
Why is The London Clinic under investigation?
An insider alleged that a staff member tried to view the Princess of Wales’ medical notes during her stay at The London Clinic.
The source said: ‘This is a major security breach and incredibly damaging for the hospital, given its unblemished reputation for treating members of the Royal Family.’
Kate’s last public appearance before her surgery was on Christmas Day. Her time out of the public eye has sparked myriad conspiracies (Picture: Getty)
If the allegation is true, it would be a breach of patient confidentiality.
Accessing the medical records of a patient without the consent of the medical organisation’s data controller is a criminal offence.
The UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has confirmed officials have received and are reviewing a breach report.
What hospitals do the Royal family use?
The London Clinic isn’t the only hospital frequented by the royals.
Kate gave birth to her three children at the private Lindo Wing maternity ward at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, where a normal delivery package costs £6,300. Prince William and Prince Harry were also born at the hospital.
A normal delivery package at Lindo Wing maternity ward at St Mary’s Hospital costs £6,300 (Picture: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
The King Edward VII hospital in Marylebone has treated royals on several occasions.
Kate spent time there when receiving treatment for severe morning sickness in 2011, Prince Philip had a hip replacement there in 2018, and Queen Elizabeth had knee surgery there.
The royal family have occasionally been known to use HS services.
Prince Philip had an emergency heart procedure at the NHS Papworth Hospital in Cambridge in 2011, and Prince Harry had a hernia operation when he was three years old at Great Ormond Street Hospital, an NHS Trust.
The royals also have access to The Royal Medical Household, a team of specialists on call to help with any medical conditions. A physician from the team will usually accompany royals on any overseas visits.