Ten people have been suspended or removed from duty by an NHS Trust after a possible data breach of the medical records of three-year-old Noah Woods.
The toddler was found dead in a lake on September 16, a day after going missing in Brantham, Suffolk.
Dr Martin Mansfield, the deputy chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (Esneft) said “an urgent internal investigation” had been launched and that the trust “apologised unreservedly” to Noah’s family.
The move has been taken amid “concerns that Noah’s medical records may have been viewed inappropriately”, he added.
An Esneft spokesman added: “Ten people working at the trust have been removed from direct active duty or suspended pending further investigation.”
Noah had left an under-fives play area in Brantham, Suffolk and became separated from the relative who was with him on September 15, the opening of his inquest heard on Friday.
Around 1,300 members of the public joined a search to find the youngster, but Metropolitan Police divers recovered his body from a lake known locally as Decoy Pond on the afternoon of September 16.
Noah’s inquest was opened then adjourned to a date to be fixed.
In a statement on Sunday Dr Mansfield, who is the senior person responsible for health and care information at the Trust, said: “Any unauthorised access of patient data is completely unacceptable.
“We understand the significant distress it can cause patients and their families.
“It also undermines trust in our services.
“Safeguarding that trust is central to the care we provide.
“We have apologised unreservedly to Noah Woods’s family for the extra anguish this breach of trust has caused them at an already devastating time.
“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.
“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.
“We take any patient data breach seriously.
“We investigate thoroughly, and we will take disciplinary action where needed in response to our findings, in line with the trust’s policies and procedures.”
An ICO spokesman said: “We can confirm that we are making enquiries with East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust.”
He added: “Our message to healthcare professionals is clear: knowingly or recklessly accessing patient data without authorisation is against the law.
“You risk your livelihood, your professional accreditation and possible criminal sanctions.”
A series of recent high-profile incidents involving unauthorised access to patient records is “painting an extremely worrying picture”, he said.
Patient records contain “some of the most private information people will ever share”, according to NHS England’s chief executive Sir Jim Mackey.
He said: “We have seen too many cases of people abusing that trust, and enough is enough.”
Sir Jim added: “Anyone who thinks they can satisfy their curiosity by looking at a patient’s record should know this: they will be found out, they may lose their career, and could end up with a criminal record.”
On Friday, Noah’s family released a tribute to him through Suffolk Police.
They said: “Noah was a happy, cheeky, playful three-year-old boy who loved to laugh, loved to giggle and who brought joy wherever he went.
“He was part of a loving and caring family, living with his mummy, daddy and his little baby brother.
“He was at the centre of our world.
“Noah was being assessed for autism, although he had not received a diagnosis.
“He also had mild hearing loss and was speech delayed.
“Despite the challenges he faced, he was learning every day.”