At least six nurses working for NHS trust in Coventry and Warwickshire caught inappropriately accessing medical records - and two were sacked
At least six nurses working for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust have been caught inappropriately accessing medical records in the past year - with two being sacked for the offence.
During the summer, NHS England launched a Don't Let Curiosity Kill Your Career campaign, warning health and care staff that viewing patient medical records out of personal curiosity or without a direct care need is illegal, a severe breach of trust and subject to strict disciplinary measures.
Data from a Freedom of Information request shows that in less than 12 months, two nursing staff at UHCW have been sacked for inappropriately looking at medical records and reported to regulators; four have been issued with final written warnings; two are subject to live investigations yet to be concluded; one has resigned before a potential panel investigation took place.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust said: “Protecting patient confidentiality is a priority and we treat concerns about inappropriate access to medical records extremely seriously, initiating formal disciplinary action in all cases.
“All staff are clear that patient information must only be accessed where there is a legitimate reason linked to providing care or carrying out their role.
“We have systems in place to monitor access to patient records and investigate any issues in line with Trust policy.”
Talking in summer after the launch of the Don't Let Curiosity Kill Your Career campaign, NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackey issued a stark warning to staff that they face the sack or even prison if they access patient records without a legitimate reason, as part of a new crackdown by the health service.
He said: “Patients must be able to trust that their personal information is kept confidential by the NHS – any instance of staff looking at records without a valid reason is wholly unacceptable, a disgraceful breach of patients’ trust and against the law.
“While the majority of NHS staff handle patient information responsibly and professionally every day, it’s been incredibly worrying that a small number have chosen to undermine the trust that patients place in them and caused such additional distress for families who deserved so much better from us."