48 Liverpool Staff Improperly Accessed Southport Victims' Records

Nearly 50 staff members at University Hospitals of Liverpool Group inappropriately accessed the medical records of victims from the July 2024 Southport knife attack, an internal audit revealed, with patients only informed this week almost two years later.

The attack took place on July 29 at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at The Hart Space in Southport, where 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana killed three girls, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. He also injured 10 others, including class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes. Rudakubana received a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years. Several injured victims received treatment at UHLG facilities, including Aintree Hospital.

An information access audit conducted by the trust in the days after the incident identified 48 staff members who viewed the records without legitimate reason. Of 64 suspicious accesses flagged, 12 were deemed appropriate, and four staff had left the trust before investigation. The remaining 48 faced human resources disciplinary processes ranging from informal counseling to final written warnings, though none were dismissed.