NHS Trust Probes Possible Access to Noah Woods’ Records

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust has apologized to the family of three-year-old Noah Woods and launched an urgent investigation into concerns that staff may have viewed his medical records inappropriately. The trust said it secured the records, reported the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office and removed or suspended ten employees from active duty while investigations continue. The trust’s deputy chief medical officer, Dr Martin Mansfield, said the family had been apologized to for the additional anguish caused at an already devastating time. He said the trust acted as soon as concerns arose, took steps to prevent access that was not for a legitimate clinical reason and would keep the family informed. The trust said it would take disciplinary action if warranted by its findings. The reported staff measures are interim. The investigation has not established whether records were accessed without authorization, who may have viewed them or the scope of any access. The trust said the concern prompted an urgent internal inquiry; reports also said its information-governance team audited the main electronic patient record system.