A doctor in Denmark is under police investigation after allegedly accessing the personal medical records of thousands of citizens without any professional justification. The scope of the privacy breach—first reported by TV 2 Kosmopol—is growing rapidly, with both Region Hovedstaden and Region Sjælland now involved in the case.
Authorities have confirmed that the physician performed “hundreds, possibly thousands” of unauthorized searches in the national health system’s patient database, sparking serious concerns over the protection of sensitive information and the efficacy of internal oversight mechanisms.
Thousands of unauthorized lookups under investigation
According to an official statement from Region Sjælland, the doctor in question “may have made unauthorized lookups on several thousand citizens” during his employment in the region. Preliminary investigations by Region Hovedstaden also indicate hundreds of unlawful accesses, with officials warning that the full extent of the misconduct has yet to be determined.
“This may well be one of the most serious cases we’ve seen,” said Mette Harbo, Director at the Center for IT and Medical Technology in Region Hovedstaden. “We are still in the early stages of our investigation, but it is clear that there have been multiple violations.”
The doctor reportedly used his professional access rights to browse confidential details such as CPR numbers, addresses, and telephone numbers—information he later used inappropriately.
Complaints from women shed light on privacy violations
The case came to light when two women separately reported suspicious activity after declining invitations from the doctor to go on a date. Both later discovered—by chance—that he had looked into their private information without consent.
“I feel violated that he abused his position like that,” said one of the women, Sundas Chaudhry, in an interview with TV 2 Kosmopol.
Despite their formal complaints last summer, it took months for authorities to initiate thorough investigations. Both women expressed frustration that it was up to them to alert the system, rather than safeguards catching the misconduct automatically.
Experts criticize weak data oversight in Danish healthcare
The scandal has drawn criticism from patient rights advocates and data ethics experts. Morten Freil, director of Danske Patienter (Danish Patients), called the incident “simply not good enough.”
“There must be systems in place to catch these violations early. This is a failure of basic oversight,” he said.
Professor Thomas Ploug, a data ethics expert at Aalborg University, emphasized that patients should not have to act as whistleblowers. “The biggest problem here is that patients themselves were the ones who had to discover the illegal lookups,” he stated.
Citizens encouraged to check their own health logs
In response to the scandal, Region Hovedstaden is now urging citizens who feel unsafe to check their personal access logs on sundhed.dk. Through the platform, users can see who has viewed their medical data—including health professionals and authorized relatives.
If anything appears suspicious, individuals are encouraged to contact the relevant hospital or department directly.
The doctor at the center of the investigation has declined to comment on the allegations.
A broader issue?
While this case may be one of the most extensive in recent Danish history, it follows a worrying trend. Previous reports have highlighted how Danish health professionals occasionally access patient records without justification, raising ongoing concerns about digital ethics and accountability within the healthcare system.
The investigation continues, and both regions have pledged to reach out to the affected citizens as more information becomes available.
