NHS boss says staff suspected of snooping on patients’ records should be suspended immediately

The call follows reports that NHS staff accessed the medical records of victims of the Nottingham and Southport attacks without authorisation. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

NHS staff suspected of snooping on patients’ medical records should be suspended immediately and barred from using health service computers, the head of NHS England has said.

Jim Mackey urged NHS England’s 205 health trusts to pursue a “zero tolerance” approach to staff who are suspected of inappropriately accessing records.