Ten NHS staff suspended over Noah Woods medical records breach

Ten NHS staff have been removed from duty or suspended while an investigation continues into unauthorised access to the medical records of three-year-old Noah Woods, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has said.

Noah disappeared from a playground in Brantham, Suffolk, earlier this month. A search lasting more than 24 hours involved up to 2,000 people. His body was later recovered from a pond or lake by police divers. An inquest opened on Friday. It heard he got through a gap in a fence into a memorial garden and out through an open gate. His body was identified at Ipswich Hospital.

The trust apologised unreservedly to Noah's family for the extra anguish caused at an already devastating time. Dr Martin Mansfield, a senior doctor at the trust, said it launched an urgent internal investigation as soon as concerns emerged that Noah's records may have been viewed inappropriately. Immediate steps were taken to secure the records and prevent further access that was not for a legitimate clinical reason. The trust reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office. It said anyone found responsible will face disciplinary action.

The trust said it proactively checked Noah's records because the missing person case was so high profile. That check uncovered the breach. Ten members of staff have been suspended or removed from duty while the investigation continues.

The case has emerged alongside a wider NHS England crackdown on patient data snooping. Sir Jim Mackey, the head of NHS England, wrote to hospital leaders telling them that staff suspected of inappropriately snooping on patient data should be suspended immediately and have their access to computer systems cut off. NHS England said there have been too many cases of workers abusing people's trust and that it is taking a hardline approach.

The intervention followed reporting on the scale of the problem. In June, it was reported that a three-year-old who was attacked by a crocodile after being pushed into a reptile enclosure had records inappropriately accessed by NHS staff. An investigation found that of thousands of cases examined by NHS trusts over the past five years, very few were referred to the Information Commissioner's Office and most staff were given minor sanctions such as verbal or written warnings.

NHS England apologised to families affected by unauthorised access. Sir Jim Mackey said there was no justification or excuse for it. He said the purpose of his letter was to make clear to trusts what action should be taken when patient notes are accessed unlawfully.

Southport attack survivor Leanne Lucas, whose records were breached by hospital and ambulance staff and Ministry of Justice employees, said she was pleased the issue was being taken seriously. She questioned whether people involved in her case would be suspended, but said lessons could be learned and applied in future. Affected families and campaigners say more protections are needed to keep sensitive NHS records safe.