Claim for the Transform Hospital Group data breach

For clients of the Transform Hospital Group, 2020 ended with the distressing news that their private data had been exposed in a malicious ransomware attack.

As a plastic surgery chain, the group holds extremely sensitive information about their patients, including surgery photos known as “before and after” images. It is understood that such photos are the subject of the ransomware attack, with some 500 gigabytes of it being held.

The affected customers may now be living in constant fear of their sensitive information being published online, as well as their details being misused in order to commit fraud or identity theft. With such sensitive information at risk, customers are, unsurprisingly, very distressed by the prospect of targeted exposure and humiliation. At the Group Action Lawyers, we have already begun taking on claimants, and we foresee that a group action may be brought if more claims are made, allowing us to launch a collective fight for justice.

The exposed information and potential risks

In many data breaches, the exposed information is restricted to only a few types of data, but this has not been the case for the Transform Hospital Group data breach. The extent of the compromised data is shocking, with exposed details including:

• Names;
• Addresses;
• Telephone numbers;
• Medical history information;
• Ethnic and religious identities;
• Dates of birth;
• Email addresses;
• GP details;
• Signatures;
• Payment details.

If you are one of the affected customers, it is important to remain vigilant for any malicious communication that could come your way. Attempts at fraud could be indirect and could be harder to identify; for example, you may be sent phishing emails, via which cybercriminals may ask for your personal details under the guise of a reputable company, perhaps even the Transform Hospital Group itself.

All such emails should be reported as fraudulent. If you notice any suspicious transactions on affected accounts, contact your bank immediately.

Bringing a claim against the Transform Hospital Group

In response to the data breach, we understand that the Transform Hospital Group has notified affected customers of their involvement via email. However, according to some, details as to the exact information exposed has not been forthcoming. As such, they may not have been able to fully identify the scope of the leak.

If you are one of the customers who have been notified of the breach, you may be eligible to claim compensation. When large-scale breaches such as this occur, questions must be asked about the third-party organisation responsible for your data, and their potential culpability for the data leak.  The Transform Hospital Group may be found to be liable for the cyberattack if it transpires that they failed to implement sufficient cybersecurity measures to protect your data.

Claiming with The Group Action Lawyers

At The Group Action Lawyers, we have years of experience in data breach cases and group action lawsuits, giving us the expertise necessary to handle your Transform Hospital Group claim.

We currently sit on the Steering Committee for the first GDPR Group Litigation Order in England and Wales, so our reputation in this area of law is well-known.

If you would like to make a claim for distress, financial losses and expenses caused by the Transform Hospital Group data breach, please contact us for no-obligation advice regarding your right to claim.