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An ambulance trust is now investigating whether staff snooped on Southport victim records, HSJ can reveal, intensifying calls for a national review into patient privacy.

North West Ambulance Service did not inform patients or their families – nor take disciplinary action – after identifying potential breaches, according to internal NHS documents.

It comes just weeks after another NHS trust was accused of attempting to cover up the inappropriate access of Southport victim records by dozens of staff, revealed by HSJ.

NWAS said it was still investigating the cases, two years after the attack on a children’s dance class in which three young girls were killed and many other people injured.

Chief executive Salman Desai told HSJ: “We have identified concerns about potential inappropriate access to patient records and are formally investigating the matter…

“We will contact families and patients who may have been affected as our enquiries progress… We are deeply sorry for the concern and distress this may cause.”

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Source: HSJ, 14 July 2026

NHS England is set to equip patients at risk of deadly sepsis with wearable technology, aiming to prevent 1,000 deaths annually.

This initiative forms part of a broader drive to enhance monitoring and treatment, with the health service targeting the prevention of thousands of sepsis-related fatalities by 2035.

Sepsis, often triggered by a bacterial infection, presents with various symptoms. Adults may experience confusion, slurred speech, uncontrollable shivering, muscle pain, and breathing difficulties.

The UK Sepsis Trust estimates that sepsis contributes to approximately 48,000 deaths in the UK each year, with a significant number of these cases considered preventable.

The new NHS England strategy, announced on Tuesday, seeks to address this critical public health challenge.

Its measures include giving wearable devices to people at risk of sepsis, such as watches or bracelets, or via tech on their mobile phone.

This technology can keep track of blood pressure and heart rate, flagging if a person’s condition has deteriorated and they need to be tested for sepsis.

Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, NHS England’s deputy medical director, said: “Every year, sepsis causes of tens of thousands of deaths, and leaves thousands more with long-term disabilities, so it’s vital the NHS has an ambitious plan to reduce this harm over the next decade.

“Key to tackling sepsis is catching it early – the longer sepsis goes undetected the less chance a person has to survive or make a full recovery.

“That’s why the NHS will be trialling new wearable devices that will allow people’s vital signs to be monitored at home, so that if they deteriorate, they can get tested and treated faster.”

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Source: The Independent, 14 July 2026

Related resources on the hub:

• Top picks: 13 resources about sepsis
• Spotting the signs of sepsis: a series of short videos