Medical records belonging to a man who was fatally mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park may have been accessed without proper authorization by staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The potential breaches occurred following the death of 24-year-old William Chapman, who was killed on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the trust stated that following Mr. Chapman's death, two incidents involving staff accessing or attempting to access incident/medical information related to the case were identified. The trust has launched an investigation to determine the full circumstances surrounding these potential breaches.

An inquest into Mr. Chapman's death, which took place on Thursday at Doncaster Coroner's Court, heard that he died from multiple traumatic injuries and animal interaction after entering the tiger's enclosure. The trust has informed Mr. Chapman's family about the potential breaches and extended its condolences.

"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," a spokesperson for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust said. The trust emphasized its commitment to patient confidentiality and the security of information, noting that the potential issues were identified through proactive audits.

The trust has reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office and pledged to keep Mr. Chapman's family updated as the investigation progresses. The park staff secured the tiger after the attack, and paramedics confirmed Mr. Chapman's death at the scene.

The inquest also heard that Mr. Chapman had a history of mental illness, including a diagnosis of schizophrenia and previous episodes of psychosis. Despite this, he was described as highly functioning and independent, with no care requirements. He was a self-employed online trader, originally from Chichester, West Sussex, and was living in Doncaster at the time of his death.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park has since reopened to visitors following the incident. The park is cooperating with authorities as the investigation into Mr. Chapman's death and the alleged record breaches continues.

This development adds a further layer of concern to the tragic events at the wildlife park, highlighting the importance of data protection within healthcare services even in the wake of unrelated public safety incidents.