Patients in nip and tuck nightmare
Private details are leaked online
A COSMETIC surgery clinicc has leaked the confidential al details of hundreds of womenn from around Australia in an n extraordinary privacy breach. h.
Teenagers are among g those left shell-shocked after er their names, home addresses,s, Medicare numbers and mediical history were posted on the e internet by The Cosmetic Innstitute, which runs clinics in the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne.
Before and after naked photos of breast enhancements – as well as intimate photos of patients posing in their swimwear – were also uploaded to a publicly accessible index of the clinic’s website. More than 500 female patients have been affected dating back to 2014.
The compromised website was discovered by a Queensland doctor who contacted the media after noticing the data could be accessed by anyone.
The site was automatically storing the naked photos and pre-surgery medical forms clients were required to submit online.
The index of a website is normally private but an IT error allowed access to the public and there is no way of knowing who has visited the website to access the data.
Yesterday clinic owner Andrew Gill said he had disabled the website after he became aware of the breach.
“Patient confidentiality is the most important thing for us and we are trying to understand how this information was released,” Mr Gill said. “We have shut down all of our sources of information through our website and we use a digital agency which manages our website for us.
“Clearly we are very concerned and we are working to see what has happened.”
A 19-year-old woman from the Gold Coast was one of several teenagers humiliated by the breach.
Her sister was due to go under the knife later this year but her mother Carol has now cancelled the procedure.
Carol said she was “shaking” with anger over the company’s error and upset they would not return her calls.
“I was concerned about her going and doing this in the first place but this is just horrible,” she said.
“I am shaking just thinking about it. She even sent them photos and to think they may have been on the website makes me sick. The worst part of it all is I’ve heard absolutely nothing from them after calling several times.”
Wollongong teacher Jessica Clough, 20, said she felt “violated” and “sick to the stomach”.
“It is supposed to be private and confidential information and they have breached our privacy in the worst possible way,” Ms Clough said.
“When you opt for a surgery like this one it is a very personal decision.
“I did this for a confidence boost. I wasn’t feeling great about myself and I hadn’t even told most of my friends, only a few people very close to me like my partner.
“I can’t explain the feeling; it is just so horrible not knowing who could have looked at this.”
I AM SHAKING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. SHE EVEN SENT THEM PHOTOS AND TO THINK THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ON THE WEBSITE MAKES ME SICK. MUM OF 19-YEAR-OLD PATIENT