NHS CHIEF ORDERS ZERO-TOLERANCE ON STAFF RECORD SNOOPING

Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, has written to every hospital trust demanding a "zero-tolerance" approach to staff who improperly access patient records, according to a letter sent on Friday. The letter instructs trusts to suspend staff immediately and cut off their system access wherever a breach is suspected. Sir Jim said he shared "disappointment and anger" at reports of NHS employees accessing confidential patient information without legitimate reason, calling such access unlawful and a serious failure of the duty to protect patient privacy. He noted the guidance follows a communications toolkit issued in July aimed at addressing the same problem.

The warning follows a series of reported cases in which staff allegedly viewed patient records without authorisation. These include instances involving records connected to victims of the Southport and Nottingham killings, and the three-year-old from Cambridge who fell into a crocodile enclosure. Separately, The Independent reported this week that NHS staff at Southmead Hospital are under investigation over allegations of accessing the records of Oliver McGowan, who died almost a decade ago. In another case cited alongside Sir Jim's letter, a former healthcare worker at a private hospital received a caution from the Information Commissioner's Office for attempting to obtain and sell medical records belonging to the Princess of Wales, Catherine.

Sir Jim has asked all NHS trusts to act on the new approach immediately, tying it to the guidance already circulated in July. The letter frames unauthorised access as damaging to public and patient confidence in the NHS. Sky News reported that staff have been told they face immediate suspension if caught inappropriately accessing patient data. No further details on enforcement timelines or disciplinary outcomes for ongoing cases have been confirmed.