An investigation has been launched after NHS workers either inappropriately accessed or attempted to access medical records of the man killed in a tiger attack.
Last weekend, emergency services were called to Yorkshire Wildlife Park after a young man entered the tiger enclosure and was mauled by the big cat.
The victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene from his injuries, has since been identified as 24-year-old William Chapman.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has confirmed it has initiated a probe after two staff members sought to access Chapman’s medical information.
The trust said in a statement: ‘The trust has identified an information governance concern in relation to this tragic incident at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, and William’s family has been informed of our ongoing investigation into this.
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‘We believe there may have been two instances involving two members of staff accessing or attempting to access incident/medical information following this incident without a legitimate reason to do so.’
It added: ‘We take the confidentiality and security of patient information extremely seriously and have robust systems in place to protect information, and this concern has been identified as a result of our proactive audits.’
The investigation aims to ‘establish the full circumstances surrounding these potential breaches and the actions of these individuals’.
‘We have also reported this matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and we will continue to keep William’s family informed as our investigation progresses.’
The investigation comes after the Doncaster park reopened to the public today, almost a week on from Chapman’s death when he scaled two fences at the Land of the Tigers pen.
Altai, one of two endangered Siberian tigers at the park, pawed at him and clamped down on his neck in front of other horrified visitors, including children and parents.
New pictures taken today showed five-year-old Altai as members of the public watched him from the raised wooden walkway, waiting for him to face them for photographs.
A substantial number of park staff were seen by the enclosure.
Despite the autumn sunshine, though, the park was only sparsely attended.
A woman told the Press Association: ”It was just terrible what happened, but it’s got to open again at some point. I don’t see how it helps anyone to keep the park shut.
‘People have just come to see a beautiful animal.
‘I don’t think anyone here has come just because of what happened. A lot of people here today are regulars.’
Park bosses have already confirmed Altai will not be euthanised following concerns for his welfare, insisting that he is ‘safe and well’.
They added ahead of the reopening that Altai’s ‘ongoing welfare at YWP remains a priority of our experienced animal care team’, and the park will continue to ‘assist South Yorkshire Police and other relevant agencies with their ongoing inquiries into the circumstances of this tragic incident’.
An inquest opening into Chapman’s death heard that his provisional cause of death was ‘multiple traumatic injuries’, the coroner said.
Chapman had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, which is characterised by delusional thinking and hallucinations.
He suffered previous bouts of psychosis, and his family had expressed ‘a number of concerns’ in relation to his contact with mental health services.
While he was under adult mental health services in Doncaster, Chapman was ‘highly functioning and independent with no care requirements’.
His family is ‘finding things incredibly difficult’, the coroner said, and chose not to attend the first hearing.
Meanwhile, the City of Doncaster Council, which licenses the park, is carrying out a health and safety investigation.
Chapman, a self-employed online trader and former child actor, filmed his final moments as he approached the pen.
He asked park-goers to take a photo of him with the feline before entering the enclosure wearing headphones, witnesses say.
A video posted on social media showed him and Altai, who at one point grabbed and bit him near the middle of his back.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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