HCRG breaches children's medical records in Wiltshire
Health data of children in Wiltshire and Bath & North East Somerset was breached by HCRG, formerly Virgin Care, raising fears for vulnerable patients.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
The BBC has learned that a breach of health data concerning children in Wiltshire and Bath & North East Somerset occurred at HCRG, the company formerly known as Virgin Care. The firm holds a care contract worth over a billion pounds.
A relative of two teenagers affected, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC that the children's medical records had been breached. Both teenagers were in the care system. The relative said they had been receiving phone calls left on their phones, and that the letter informing them of the breach had made them more anxious. The relative also expressed worry that the data could end up on the dark web.
This comes after earlier concerns that vulnerable patients were being let down by the company. The BBC has invited anyone who believes they may have been affected by the data breach to come forward. The full extent of the breach is not yet clear, but it has raised serious questions about data security and patient privacy.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| HCRG, formerly Virgin Care, suffered a data breach involving children's health records in Wiltshire and Bath & North East Somerset, affecting two teenagers in care. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC's local programme focused on the human impact of the data breach, particularly on vulnerable children in the care system. It also used the broadcast as an appeal for more affected people to come forward, framing it as a developing story with ongoing public interest.
- “The BBC understands there's been a breach of health data about children in Wiltshire and Bath & North East Somerset held by the company HCRG, formerly known as Virgin Care.”
- “A relative of two teenagers affected who wants to remain anonymous told us children's medical records had been breached.”
- “And I worry about if everything is out there on the dark web.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.