NOAH WOODS: NEW INQUEST DETAILS EMERGE AS NHS INVESTIGATES ACCESS TO THREE-YEAR-OLD’S MEDICAL RECORDS

THREE-YEAR-OLD LEFT PLAYGROUND THROUGH GAP IN FENCE

New details have emerged about the final moments of three-year-old Noah Woods, whose death in Suffolk prompted a huge search operation and has now led to a separate investigation into access to his medical records.

Noah disappeared from an under-fives play area in Brantham, Suffolk, on the afternoon of September 15, 2026, after becoming separated from a relative who was looking after him as part of his normal routine.

An inquest at Suffolk Coroner’s Court heard that Noah had been playing at the Merriam Close playground when CCTV captured him leaving the area.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick told the hearing that footage showed Noah leaving the play area through a gap in the fence, before entering a memorial garden through an open gate.

He then travelled in the direction of nearby Decoy Pond.

The relative accompanying him attempted to follow.

However, after around 200 metres, the relative could no longer see Noah.

Police were called and a major search operation began.

A MASSIVE SEARCH FOR NOAH

The disappearance triggered an enormous response from the local community.

Around 1,300 members of the public joined emergency services and specialist teams in the search for the missing child.

Police officers, volunteers and specialist search teams combed Brantham and surrounding areas as the desperate search continued into the following day.

Noah was eventually found in Decoy Pond on September 16.

A Metropolitan Police diver recovered his body approximately five metres from the bank, where it was located among submerged tree roots.

The water at that point was estimated to be around 1.8 metres deep.

His death was confirmed by paramedics at 4.31pm.

His mother, Charlie Peck, formally identified him at Ipswich Hospital later that evening.

Police have said they are not treating Noah’s death as suspicious.

At the inquest, however, the medical cause of death remained pending further investigation.

The inquest was adjourned to a date yet to be fixed.

NOAH’S FAMILY REMEMBERS A HAPPY, PLAYFUL BOY

Following the inquest hearing, Noah’s family released a deeply emotional tribute.

They described him as a “happy, cheeky, playful” little boy who loved laughing and giggling and brought joy to those around him.

The family said Noah lived with his mother, father and baby brother and was at the centre of their world.

They also revealed that Noah was being assessed for autism, although he had not received a diagnosis.

He had mild hearing loss and was speech delayed, but his family said he was learning new words and had recently begun finding and using his voice.

One of the things they said they would miss most was the unique sound of his voice.

The family also described the special bond Noah shared with his younger brother, saying he adored him and loved making him laugh.

Noah’s father, Rhys Woods, previously described his son as the “sweetest and most innocent little boy”, saying he had “nothing but love to give.”

NHS INVESTIGATES POSSIBLE ACCESS TO NOAH’S MEDICAL RECORDS

Days after the inquest, a separate development brought renewed attention to Noah’s case.

The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) announced that it had launched an urgent investigation after concerns that Noah’s medical records may have been viewed inappropriately.

The trust confirmed that 10 people working at the organisation had been removed from direct active duty or suspended while the investigation continues.

Importantly, this does not mean the 10 individuals have been found guilty of deliberately accessing Noah’s records improperly. The investigation is ongoing and the circumstances surrounding the access have not yet been publicly established.

Dr Martin Mansfield, the trust’s deputy chief medical officer and senior official responsible for health and care information, said unauthorised access to patient data was unacceptable.

The trust also apologised to Noah’s family for what it described as the additional anguish caused by the breach of trust.

RECORDS SECURED AS INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

According to ESNEFT, immediate measures were taken after the concerns were identified.

The trust said Noah’s records were secured to prevent further access that was not for a legitimate clinical reason.

The matter has also been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.

ESNEFT said it would continue to keep Noah’s family informed as the investigation progresses and would take disciplinary action if its findings showed that such action was warranted.

The trust has not publicly established why the records were accessed or whether every person removed from duty had accessed Noah’s information themselves.

Those questions remain part of the investigation.

A FAMILY FACING ANOTHER PAINFUL DEVELOPMENT

For Noah’s family, the data investigation comes only days after they learned more about how their little boy left the playground and reached the pond where he was later found.

The inquest established a timeline from CCTV footage, including footage showing Noah playing with his relative shortly before he disappeared.

The footage was motion-activated rather than continuous. The first relevant footage was recorded at approximately 2.13pm, while Noah was last seen playing at about 2.37pm.

Investigators told the hearing that Noah subsequently moved through the gap in the playground fence, into the memorial garden and through an open gate before heading towards Decoy Pond.

The relative followed him and shouted after him, but Noah was no longer visible after approximately 200 metres.

A large-scale search was then launched.

NO FINAL ANSWERS YET

Despite the new information, several important questions remain unanswered.

The precise medical cause of Noah’s death was still pending at the time of the September 25 inquest hearing.

The coroner adjourned the proceedings, meaning the inquest has not yet reached a final conclusion.

Separately, the NHS investigation into access to Noah’s medical records remains ongoing.

For now, the two matters should not be conflated.

There is no public evidence that the medical-record investigation is connected to the circumstances of Noah’s disappearance or death.

What is established is that Noah left the playground on September 15, was found dead in Decoy Pond the following day, and that police are not treating his death as suspicious.

‘WE ARE GOING TO MISS HIM SO VERY MUCH’

As investigations continue, Noah’s family has asked that he be remembered not simply as the little boy at the centre of a tragic search, but as a much-loved son and brother.

Their tribute painted a picture of a playful child who loved to laugh, was fascinated by his baby brother and was beginning to find his own voice.

For a community that saw hundreds of people come together in the search for him, his death has left a lasting sense of grief.

The investigation into what happened at Decoy Pond will continue through the coroner’s process.

And alongside it, the NHS will continue examining how and why concerns arose over access to Noah’s confidential medical information.

For his family, both investigations represent another chapter in a tragedy that began with a missing-child alert — and ended with the loss of a three-year-old boy they described as the centre of their world.