Little one rapist might have profiled victims via unaudited entry to NHS databases

A former NHS analyst and convicted youngster rapist might have profiled his victims via NHS database queries that had been unaudited.

Paul Lipscombe, from Rothley, Leicestershire, who was 51 on the time he was jailed for 28 years in November 2025, labored at College Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Belief as an analyst when he dedicated a number of sexual offences in opposition to ladies.

Leicestershire Police, which investigated Lipscombe, stated he focused victims between 12 and 15, through the Snapchat social media app.

An NHS whistleblower with information of techniques advised Pc Weekly that in his analyst position, Lipscombe would have additionally been capable of gather the non-public particulars of victims via unaudited SQL database searches.

Whereas the NHS Belief stated it “undertook a information verify in relation to Paul Lipscombe’s affected person entry”, which recognized no considerations, the whistleblower revealed considerations amongs workers that entry to affected person data for analysts at many NHS trusts is untraceable.

Typical hospitals can have as much as 20 analysts who run legit queries in opposition to databases, primarily SQL, as a part of their jobs. They’ve entry to knowledge that sits behind the digital techniques in hospitals to provide studies for inner use and for presidency. Most affected person contact that’s recorded on a digital system shall be accessible by analysts via databases. This consists of private knowledge.

In distinction, entry to the Affected person Administration System (PAS), which is utilized by many workers, is audited, and its use is traceable. “In lots of NHS hospitals, each time a workers member opens a affected person’s document on the PAS, their entry to the document is logged and auditable,” stated the whistleblower. “However analysts who work immediately with the underlying databases, usually in SQL Server, can retrieve the identical private affected person particulars with out creating an auditable document of who accessed what.”

Accountability hole

This creates a niche in accountability. “If an analyst needed to misuse demographic data reminiscent of addresses or telephone numbers, in lots of NHS trusts there could be little or no audit path to detect it,” added the supply. “The NHS ought to require all trusts to log database queries by analysts and retain these information for a number of years in order that entry to delicate knowledge can all the time be traced.” 

Analysts must signal knowledge safety ensures to make sure knowledge is just not shared or leaked, however the lack of traceability of what database searches had been carried out and by whom is a severe loophole in NHS safety which might depart sufferers susceptible.

Pc Weekly requested NHS England and Lipscombe’s former employer, College Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Belief, why analyst searches should not audited at many trusts and what plans are in place to vary this. Neither organisation responded to the query.

NHS England had not responded to Pc Weekly’s questions when this artoicle was printed.

Following Lipscombe’s arrest in April 2024, College Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Belief instantly suspended him, earlier than dismissing him from his position in June 2024.

The belief stated it supported Leicestershire Police with its investigations and carried out its personal inner evaluation. In a press release in November 2025, it stated: “Nothing has been recognized at this stage to point this particular person’s prison exercise was dedicated as a part of their position.”