The Hidden Risks Of Information Disclosure: A Costly Lesson From Cornwall

When Royal Cornwall Hospital responded to a routine Freedom of Information request in 2023, they had no idea they were about to expose sensitive staff data to the public. The hospital recently apologized after discovering that a spreadsheet published on their website contained hidden sickness absence data for 8,100 current and former employees spanning three years. The breach wasn't discovered until someone accessing the file brought it to the hospital's attention, meaning the confidential information sat publicly available for an extended period.

This incident serves as a stark reminder that even well-intentioned compliance with information requests can go disastrously wrong when proper safeguards aren't in place.