Cooper says NHS staff who inappropriately accessed tiger victim's records should be sacked

The Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said NHS staff who inappropriately access medical records should be sacked, after Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust said it believed two people had accessed or tried to access the medical information of a man killed by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park without a legitimate reason.

Cooper said no NHS staff member should access records they do not need to see for medical care. She said using records for voyeurism, because they are in the news, or for any similar reason was a 'total disgrace', and that the NHS chief executive had been spoken to about the case. She said staff should be suspended while an investigation takes place, and that the NHS needs a much swifter line because these are basic standards that staff across the service know.

She added: 'And these people should be sacked. If there are breaches, then people actually need to be sacked.' She also said the overwhelming majority of NHS staff respect and value the standards because they are critical for privacy, and that firm action is needed against those who breach them.

The case emerged as health officials warned the NHS faces a more challenging winter while the system recovers from the summer heatwaves. Cooper announced a £140 million boost for urgent care, saying it would increase capacity. Officials are concerned about ominous signs of an early flu season.

Cooper said 25 new programmes announced earlier this year would be open in time for this winter. Those units alone are expected to treat hundreds of thousands of people over the next year, with the aim of faster and more appropriate treatment and tackling corridor care. She said a big turnaround had begun over the last two years but there was still a long way to go, with increased pressures going into winter.