Yorkshire Ambulance Service launches probe after two NHS staff accessed tiger victim William Chapman's medical records without authorisation
William Chapman, the former child actor killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, whose family said he had suffered 'significant mental illness over a number of years' and had been prescribed 'strong medication.'
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has opened an investigation into two staff members who viewed or tried to view William Chapman's medical records — 24, mauled to death by a 200kg Siberian tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster — without any legitimate reason. The trust identified the potential breach through its own proactive audits and has notified both Chapman's family and the Information Commissioner's Office.
The trust believes both incidents involved staff viewing or attempting to view incident and medical information relating to the emergency response to Chapman's death on 10 October.
Chapman's inquest, which opened Thursday at Doncaster Coroner's Court, heard he had schizophrenia and died from multiple traumatic injuries after scaling two fences into the tiger enclosure.
A separate NHS investigation is already under way into how mental health services engaged with Chapman in the period before he died, following concerns raised by his family.
