TEN NHS staff members have been removed from duty or suspended after allegedly accessing the digital medical records of three-year-old Noah Woods without authorisation. East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has launched an “urgent” investigation and said unauthorised access to patient data was “completely unacceptable”. Deputy chief medical officer Dr Martin Mansfield said the trust had apologised “unreservedly” to Noah’s family and that disciplinary action would follow if required.
The breach came after a major search in Brantham, Suffolk, when Noah went missing on 15 September. Police divers found his body in nearby water the following day. The supplied report does not say how many records were viewed, which staff members accessed them, whether information was copied or disclosed, or whether the incident involved a technical compromise. It also does not provide details of any regulatory notification or further protective measures beyond the staff suspensions and investigation.