The family of three-year-old Noah Woods has received an apology after NHS staff members attempted to access his medical records without authorisation.
On September 15, the toddler went missing, prompting a major 24-hour search comprising 1,300 people, helicopters, and dog units in the village of Brantham, Suffolk.
His body was discovered in the pond by police divers the next day, with an inquest later hearing that he had left a play area ‘through a gap in the fence’.
Noah’s family paid tribute to the ‘happy, cheeky, playful’ boy, with his mother, Charlie, urging people to ‘hold their children a little tighter’.
But as his family grieves, an internal probe has been launched by the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust after concerns were flagged about employees trying to access Noah’s private patient data.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
This led to 10 employees reportedly being removed from duty.
It’s believed that the ‘breach of trust’ began on September 17 and stemmed from the high-profile nature of the case.
As reported by The Sun on Sunday, an information governance team audited the main electronic patient record system from 5.30pm on the evening Noah’s disappearance was announced on the night of September 16, when his death was confirmed.
The publication understands that the Trust is also investigating other possible violations on systems where Noah was previously treated.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Martin Mansfield called the acts ‘completely unacceptable’.
‘We have apologized unreservedly to Noah’s family for the extra anguish this breach of trust has caused them at an already devastating time,’ his statement read.
‘As soon as we became aware of concerns that Noah’s medical records may have been viewed inappropriately, we launched an urgent internal investigation.
‘Immediate steps were also taken to secure the records and prevent further access that was not for a legitimate, clinical reason.’
He added that the matter has also been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, and Noah’s family will be kept updated.
‘We will take disciplinary action where needed,’ he declared.
Noah’s parents previously shared that their little boy was being assessed for autism. He also had mild hearing loss and had delayed speech.
Despite the ‘challenges he faced’, they said, he continued ‘learning every day’ and had begun ‘saying new words’ and ‘using his little voice’.
His mother identified his body at Ipswich Hospital on the night he was found by Decoy Pond.
Police said Noah’s body had been five meters from the edge, within submerged tree roots around 1.8m deep.
Suffolk Coroner’s Court heard from officers how the boy had walked from the park to a memorial garden, which he left through the gate before running down a path on a housing estate towards the pond.
CCTV from the area showed he had been supervised by a relative that day, which was ‘part of a normal routine’. The family also described them as a ‘treasured relative’.
While the family member was seen to be following him, they lost sight of Noah from East Bergholt, after which the police were called.
They are not treating his death as suspicious.
Assistant coroner Jyoti Gill also called the situation ‘very sad and tragic’ while opening the inquest.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@usnewsrank.com.
For more stories like this, check our news page.