NHS breach helpline left staff carrying a 'significant emotional burden'

NHS staff drafted into a helpline after colleagues' health data was exposed online faced distressed callers, safeguarding concerns, and a "serious emotional impact," a review has found.The report [PDF] comes almost exactly a year after the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust disclosed a data breach affecting 8,003 people, including current and former trust staff and non-trust workers.A member of the public discovered the exposure in November 2025. An Excel workbook published in response to a Freedom of Information request in February 2023 retained underlying sickness absence records that users could reveal through its pivot tables.Staff assigned to the helpline described difficult calls involving shouting, anger, and distress.Particularly...

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