NHS staff in England who are suspected of looking at patient records without a valid reason will be immediately suspended. Those under suspicion will also be locked out of NHS computer systems, preventing any further viewing of confidential records, including from home.
NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey has written to every trust, ordering these measures to be introduced immediately to strengthen protection against data breaches. Sir Jim stated, "We have seen too many cases of people abusing that trust, and enough is enough."
The move follows a series of high-profile incidents, including cases involving the records of Nottingham and Southport attack victims. This week, Bristol Foundation NHS Trust launched an internal investigation after it emerged the medical records of an 18-year-old had been accessed years after his death.
An investigation for the Health Services Journal found that over the past five years, at least 214 NHS staff have lost their jobs and around 2,000 have been sanctioned for snooping on sensitive patient data. Reasons for unauthorised access have included curiosity about high-profile patients or looking up records of relations, acquaintances, and ex-partners.