NHS trust removes 10 staff over Noah Woods data breach
The trust has also reported the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
An NHS trust has taken 10 employees off active duty amid concerns that the medical records of Noah Woods, the three-year-old boy who died after going missing in Suffolk in September, may have been viewed inappropriately.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust said it launched an urgent internal investigation as soon as it became aware of the concerns.
The trust said it has “apologised unreservedly to Noah Woods’ family for the extra anguish this breach of trust has caused them”, and that it would keep the family informed as the investigation progresses.
Dr Martin Mansfield, speaking for the trust, said: “Unauthorised access of patient data is completely unacceptable.”
“We understand the significant distress it can cause patients and their families,” Dr Mansfield added.
Noah left an under-fives play area in Brantham, Suffolk, through a gap in a fence on 15 September. About 1,300 members of the public joined the search, and Met Police divers recovered Noah’s body from Decoy Pond the following day.
Noah’s family has described the boy as “a happy, cheeky, playful three-year-old boy who loved to laugh”.
Under a new NHS England policy, staff suspected of unauthorised access to patient records are suspended immediately and their access to NHS systems is cut off while the facts are established.
The trust has not said what roles the 10 employees hold, when they could return to duty or when its internal investigation is expected to conclude.