Mother of teen who died ‘deeply hurt’ that NHS staff may have accessed son’s records inappropriately
Summary
The mother of Oliver McGowan, an autistic teenager who died in a hospital in 2016, has expressed concern after learning NHS staff may have accessed her son’s medical records without permission years after his death. Several staff members are under investigation, and the NHS trust involved has referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office for review.Key Facts
- Oliver McGowan died in 2016 after being given anti-psychotic medication at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
- At least five NHS staff may have accessed Oliver’s medical records without proper permission, some as recently as this year.
- Three nurses are formally investigated, a former doctor has self-referred to the General Medical Council, and one staff member’s case is being reviewed separately.
- Most record access was related to authorized legal or medical processes, but some access had no clear professional reason.
- NHS England’s head warned staff might lose their jobs or face legal action for unauthorized record access.
- Over the past five years, about 214 NHS workers lost their jobs and around 2,000 were disciplined for snooping on patient data.
- Oliver had epilepsy and a mild learning disability, and his death was called "potentially avoidable" in a 2020 report.
- The family feels hurt that private, sensitive details about Oliver’s care were viewed without permission after his death.
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