Aneurin Bevan health board says people broke into St Woolos and St Cadoc's hospitals to make social media content

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board says people broke into St Woolos Hospital in Newport and St Cadoc's Hospital in Caerleon over the weekend, entering secure, locked areas to create content for social media. In a statement published on 27 October, the board said the group forced entry into several areas, including places where historic patient records are stored. It said it is working with Gwent Police, who are investigating what it called a criminal matter.

Patient records

The board said all patient records are held in secure areas and that it continues to assess the position against data protection legislation. It said it is also in contact with the Information Commissioner's Office. It called the break-ins "unacceptable" and said it was "extremely disappointed" that people had entered secure premises containing sensitive information.

Working hospitals

The board stressed that both sites are functioning hospitals with staff and vulnerable patients on site. It has put further security measures in place to stop it happening again. That comes at a cost, the board said, using public money that would otherwise support patient services, particularly while it remains in a critical incident because of operational pressures. It thanked members of the public who contacted it to raise concerns.

What is not known

The board's statement does not say how many people were involved, whether anything was taken or whether any patient records were accessed, and it does not give a date or time. Cover has not named anyone, and has not seen the content the board refers to. Gwent Police have not been asked for comment in this report.