Letter dated 17 June 2024

Dear patient,

We are contacting you as a small number of Barts Health NHS Trust patients were contacted on WhatsApp by someone claiming to be a doctor between January 2022 and February 2023.

We are sorry if you received a WhatsApp message asking you to share personal information. This should not have happened. We are taking the matter very seriously and working closely with the Police to investigate the matter.

We are appealing to anyone who may have further information. If you have been contacted on WhatsApp by someone claiming to be a doctor, please:

  • contact the Police by phoning 101 and quoting the crime reference number, 4237046/22 - the information you share will help the Police with the investigation. If you have been affected by this matter, the Police will be able to offer you support through their Victim Support line.
  • contact the Trust’s data protection officer – we can offer support and can pass information to the police (if you consent) if you would prefer not to contact them directly.

You can also access free and confidential support through Women’s Aid.

Thank you for your assistance with this investigation.

Kind regards,

Professor Alistair Chesser

Group chief medical officer