NHS England orders immediate suspension of staff suspected of record snooping

NHS England has ordered every trust in England to immediately suspend staff suspected of viewing patient records without a valid reason and cut off their access to NHS computer systems, BBC News and The Guardian reported. NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey called for a zero-tolerance approach while investigations establish the facts. The NHS also plans a national campaign reminding staff of their responsibilities and the consequences of unlawful access, BBC News reported.

The order follows high-profile cases involving patient records, including records of victims of the Nottingham and Southport attacks. An investigation reported by the BBC found at least 214 NHS staff have lost their jobs and around 2,000 have been sanctioned for snooping on sensitive patient data over the past five years.