NHS England has told every hospital trust in the country to take a zero-tolerance approach to staff snooping in patient records, warning that anyone caught will face immediate suspension and be locked out of IT systems. The directive came in a letter from NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey on September 25, sent to the leaders of all 205 trusts.

The letter said dismissals for privacy breaches have already reached 214 over the past five years, and ordered managers to treat even a suspicion of unauthorised access as grounds for instant action. The move follows a high-profile case that led to 10 staff being suspended over alleged record snooping.

Under the new stance, any staff member suspected of looking up a patient’s records without a clinical reason will be suspended on the spot and have their system access cut the same day. Trusts have been told there are no second chances: curiosity is not an excuse, and the rules apply to everyone from junior administrators to senior consultants.

Patient groups welcomed the crackdown, saying trust in the NHS depends on knowing medical records are private. The policy takes effect immediately across England’s hospital, mental health and community trusts.