Hospital staff suspended over Southport victims' records access

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 16:35 · Archive

Two NHS staff at a Liverpool hospital have been suspended during an investigation into potentially inappropriate access to Southport stabbing victims' medical records.

Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust has suspended two staff members during an investigation into potential inappropriate access to medical records of Southport stabbing victims. The cases were detected as part of a retrospective audit, and the trust confirmed that those affected have been contacted and informed of the investigation.

The attack occurred in July 2024 at a children's dance class in Southport, where a knifeman fatally wounded three young children and injured eight other children and two adults. The investigation into the Liverpool hospital staff follows a separate admission in May by the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, which acknowledged that nearly 50 of its staff had wrongly viewed victims' medical files. A further investigation is also underway at North West Ambulance Service Trust relating to unauthorised access to victims' information.

Manoj Kuduvalli, medical director for Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, said: 'We are deeply sorry that this has happened. Our patients trust us with their most personal information at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives, and any inappropriate access to those records is a serious violation of that trust.' The trust has stated that patient records must only be accessed for legitimate reasons connected to patients' care. The matter has been referred to the Information Commissioner's Office and the Care Quality Commission.

How it is being reported

• NHS staff may have inappropriately accessed Southport victims' recordsLiverpool Heart and Chest Hospital says it identified two cases during a "retrospective audit".BBC Merseyside · 29 Oct, 15:55
• Liverpool hospital staff suspended during probe into accessing Southport victims' medical recordsTwo staff have been suspended and those affected have been contacted and informed about the probeLiverpool Echo · 29 Oct, 12:35

In this story: Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust · Southport · University Hospitals of Liverpool Group · North West Ambulance Service Trust · Manoj Kuduvalli

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