NHS England chief demands immediate suspension for staff suspected of snooping on patient records
Jim Mackey, head of NHS England, told all 205 health trusts to suspend staff immediately if they are suspected of accessing medical records without clinical justification.
Call for zero tolerance approach
Mackey wrote to the trusts on Friday demanding a hardline stance against inappropriate access. He stated that patient records contain highly private information and too many cases of abuse have occurred. The chief executive expects immediate suspension and cut-off of system access while investigations take place.
Context from recent attacks
This intervention follows growing concern after reports linked to the Nottingham 2023 and Southport 2024 incidents. Staff were previously found to have viewed records of victims without meaningful penalty. Mackey says enough is enough regarding people abusing trust in this way.
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