Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is investigating whether two of its staff accessed or attempted to access medical records of William Chapman, a 24-year-old man who died after being mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on October 10. The trust identified the potential breaches during a routine audit aimed at protecting patient information and has reported the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office. William Chapman’s family has been informed of the ongoing investigation.

Chapman was pronounced dead at the scene after he climbed over two fences and entered the enclosure of Altai, a rare Amur tiger weighing approximately 200 kilograms. Emergency services were alerted shortly after 1:30 p.m. on the day of the incident. The tiger remains at the wildlife park, which reopened for the first time following the tragedy.

According to the coroner’s opening hearing, Chapman had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and had experienced previous episodes of psychosis. His family had expressed concerns about his interactions with mental health services. At the time of his death, Chapman was living in Doncaster as a self-employed online trader. He was reportedly under the care of adult mental health services but considered “highly functioning and independent” without formal care requirements. A post-mortem examination confirmed that Chapman died from multiple traumatic injuries sustained during the encounter with the tiger.

The ambulance trust described the situation as an "information governance concern" and emphasized its commitment to maintaining the confidentiality and security of patient information. Officials stated that the possible breaches involved two separate incidents by two different members of staff who accessed or tried to access medical or incident details related to Chapman without a legitimate reason.

The Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust is also conducting its own investigation into the circumstances of Chapman’s care. Meanwhile, Yorkshire Wildlife Park has resumed operations at the Land of the Tigers enclosure after the temporary closure prompted by the incident.

The investigations into both the privacy concerns and the events leading up to Chapman’s death remain ongoing, with authorities continuing to keep the family informed as inquiries progress.