NHS Trust apologises to family of Noah Woods over data breach of his medical records as ten staff removed from duty
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An NHS trust has suspended ten employees and apologised to the family of a toddler found dead in a lake after his medical records were accessed without permission.
The deputy chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust apologised 'unreservedly' to the family of Noah Woods, three, for the 'extra anguish' it caused.
Noah was found by police divers in a lake on September 16 after a search joined by 1,300 members of the public following his disappearance the previous day.
An inquest heard he had left a play area 'through a gap in the fence' despite a relative's calls to stop and sprinted more than 200yds down a track before disappearing in the village of Brantham, Suffolk.
Officers said Noah's death was not being treated as suspicious after his body was found in a lake known as Decoy Pond around 'five metres from the bank and within submerged tree roots'.
But overnight the NHS trust began an 'urgent' investigation after Noah's medical records were breached, with its deputy chief medical officer Dr Martin Mansfield calling the unauthorised access 'completely unacceptable'.
Dr Mansfield said: 'Immediate steps were also taken to secure the records and prevent further access that was not for a legitimate, clinical reason.
'We have reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and we will continue to keep Noah's family informed as our investigation progresses.'
Noah Woods, three, was found in a lake on September 16 after running away from a playground the previous day. An NHS trust has apologised after his medical records were breached
The playground on Merriam Close in Brantham, from where Noah went missing last week
Police said the toddler had been being 'looked after by relatives' when he visited the park from which he ran away.
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick said: 'This was part of a normal routine for Noah.'
He said the toddler visited an under-fives play area and CCTV footage in the park 'showed Noah playing with his relative', with the first footage timed at 2.13pm.
Detective Chief Inspector Connick added that Noah was last seen playing at 2.37pm, but he cautioned that the CCTV 'is motion-activated so doesn't provide continuous footage'.
He said the relative, who was not named at the hearing, had provided a statement to police.
The officer said Noah 'left through a gap in the fence leading to the memorial garden where he left through an open gate'.
He said Noah then ran down a track beside a new-build housing estate and went in the direction of Decoy Pond, while 'being closely followed by his relative who was trying to keep up with him'.
Detective Chief Inspector Connick added: 'Noah veered off the path into a first set of steps leading into the housing estate. The relative shouted at him and he moved back from the steps and carried on towards Decoy Pond.
Suffolk Police issued CCTV footage of Noah's last movements at the playground in Brantham
The lake, known as Decoy Pond, is 250 yards from where Noah was last seen by a relative
'He then moved to the next set of sites leading to the housing estate and the relative again shouted at him, and he carried on to Decoy Pond.'
Detective Chief Inspector Connick said Noah had disappeared from view after the track he was running on curved around towards Decoy Pond.
He said that Noah could no longer be seen by the relative when they reached the bottom of the track, around 200 yards from the play area.
The relative and a member of the public immediately began searching but found no trace of him.
Police were informed and launched a huge search for him involving Coastguards, firefighters, helicopters and dog teams as well as members of the public.
The Metropolitan Police Underwater and Confined Space Unit sent a team of divers to join the search.
Noah's body was found by PC Rhodri Herbert in an area of submerged tree roots around 5m from Decoy Pond's banks and about 1.8m deep.
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