Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is formally investigating three nurses over possible improper access to Oliver McGowan’s records. His mother was told at least five staff may have viewed them without permission as recently as this year. Oliver, 18, died in 2016.
Initial inquiries found no evidence that the three nurses, who were not involved in Oliver’s care, had a legitimate reason to view his records. After requesting the records, Paula McGowan was told 38 people had accessed them since his death, with 637 items viewed and 67 printed. Most access was appropriate and linked to complaints, legal proceedings or the coroner’s inquest. A fourth staff member’s case is under separate review, and the trust is examining 13 cases involving former staff. A former trust doctor referred themselves to the GMC after being approached.
The trust said it was deeply sorry for any stress and anxiety, voluntarily referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office and would not reach conclusions before enquiries were complete. It said appropriate action would follow if misconduct is identified. NHS England says staff who view records without a valid reason may face discipline, dismissal or criminal prosecution. A Health Services Journal investigation reported that at least 214 NHS staff lost their jobs and around 2,000 were sanctioned for snooping on sensitive patient data in the past five years.
