Staff who inappropriately accessed medical records of man mauled by tiger should be sacked, says Health Secretary

NHS staff who inappropriately accessed the medical records of a man mauled to death by a tiger should be sacked, the Health Secretary has said.

Two members of staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service are believed to have accessed or attempted to access Mr Chapman's records after his death at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on October 10 without a legitimate reason.

The ambulance service opened an investigation into the potential breaches on Friday.

Asked about reports his records may have been inappropriately accessed, Yvette Cooper told Sky News’s Sunday Morning: “I take this extremely seriously.

“I know there’s a specific investigation going into that case, but we just need to be absolutely clear.

“No member of NHS staff should be accessing records that they do not need to see for medical care, and reasons simply for something to do with voyeurism, or what is in the news, or any of that kind of reason.

“It is not only is it a total disgrace, but I’ve spoken to the NHS chief executive about this.

“We agree that if there are cases here of people inappropriately accessing medical records, then they should be suspended while the investigation takes place and we need a much swifter line on this because these are basic standards, and everybody across the NHS knows that these are the basic standards.

“The overwhelming majority of our NHS staff not only respect these standards but value these standards as these people need to say, and we have to have firm.”

Asked if people should be sacked, she added: “If there are breaches then people actually need to be sacked.”

Mr Chapman, 24, died at the park in Doncaster after scaling two fences at the attraction’s Land of the Tigers enclosure, an inquest has heard.

A coroner has been told how he had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, had suffered previous bouts of psychosis and his family had expressed “a number of concerns” in relation to his contact with mental health services.

The coroner was also told that Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation trust has launched an investigation into their handling of his case.

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