00:00Campaigners are calling for stronger safeguards to stop NHS staff accessing confidential patient records without a legitimate reason.
00:10The opener letter has been signed by more than 30 people affected by the Southport and Nottingham attacks as well
00:16as people involved in maternity scandals.
00:19They say the current arrangements do not provide enough protection for patients and families.
00:23The call follows revelations that nearly 50 staff at University Hospitals of Liverpool group admitted in May to wrongly accessing
00:30the medical records of victims of the Southport attack.
00:33The group's been investigating the breach as Liverpool Heart and Chest NHS Foundation Trust is also investigating allegations of improper
00:40access, while Northwest Ambulance Service Trust has a separate investigation underway.
00:44The letter calls for staff to make a formal declaration using a tick box system, confirming they have a legitimate
00:50reason to view a patient's record.
00:52It also wants stronger auditing of access to confidential files and for the Information Commissioner's Office to recognise the need
00:59for these safeguards.
01:00In September, the NHS announced a crackdown. Staff suspected of improperly accessing records are to be suspended immediately and have
01:08their access to NHS systems removed.
01:10But the letter's signatories say those measures do not go far enough and want safeguards that help prevent inappropriate access
01:17in the first place.
01:19Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has described the breaches as a disgrace and said she expects action to be taken, including
01:26dismissals where appropriate.
