NOAH WOODS: 10 NHS STAFF REMOVED FROM DUTY AS NEW INQUEST DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT THE TRAGIC DEATH OF THE THREE-YEAR-OLD

THE THREE-YEAR-OLD LEFT A PLAYGROUND THROUGH A GAP IN THE FENCE BEFORE HE WAS FOUND DEAD IN A POND

The tragic case of three-year-old Noah Woods has taken another painful turn after an inquest revealed new details about the moments before he disappeared — while an NHS trust launched an urgent investigation into concerns that his medical records may have been accessed inappropriately.

Noah, from Brantham, Suffolk, disappeared on the afternoon of September 15, 2026, after visiting a local children’s play area with a relative.

More than 1,300 members of the public joined the search for him.

The following afternoon, Metropolitan Police divers recovered the body of a child from Decoy Pond, a body of water near the area where Noah had disappeared.

Police later formally identified the child as Noah.

Suffolk Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious, although enquiries remained ongoing and the case was referred to the coroner.

Now, as the family mourns, investigators are dealing with another issue surrounding the case: concerns over access to Noah’s NHS medical records.

NOAH LEFT THROUGH A GAP IN THE FENCE

An inquest into Noah’s death opened at Suffolk Coroner’s Court in Ipswich on September 25 before being adjourned.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick told the hearing that Noah had been visiting the under-fives play area in Merriam Close as part of what was described as his normal routine.

CCTV showed Noah playing with his relative.

The footage began at around 2:13 p.m., with the last recorded sighting at approximately 2:37 p.m.

However, police explained that the CCTV system was motion-activated and therefore did not provide continuous coverage.

At some point after that, Noah left the play area.

According to evidence presented at the inquest, he went through a gap in the fence, entered a memorial garden and then passed through an open gate.

He then headed in the direction of Decoy Pond.

His relative followed closely behind, attempting to keep up with him.

The officer told the hearing that the relative shouted after Noah, but after approximately 200 metres, he could no longer be seen.

Another person subsequently became involved in the search before police were contacted.

A HUGE SEARCH ENDS IN TRAGEDY

The disappearance triggered a massive emergency response.

Specialist police search teams were joined by emergency services, search-and-rescue volunteers and members of the public.

Around 1,300 people helped search Brantham and the surrounding area.

Suffolk Police received assistance from the Metropolitan Police Dive Team, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, HM Coastguard, the National Police Air Service, the ambulance service, the Environment Agency and Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue.

The search continued through the night.

Then, on September 16, Metropolitan Police divers discovered the body of a child in Decoy Pond.

Noah’s family were informed before formal identification was completed.

Police subsequently confirmed that the child was Noah Woods, aged three.

The discovery devastated a community that had spent more than a day searching for the missing boy.

POLICE SAY HIS DEATH WAS NOT SUSPICIOUS

Despite the circumstances surrounding Noah’s disappearance, Suffolk Police have said they are not treating his death as suspicious.

That position remains important as further details emerge.

The inquest has not established a criminal cause of death, and the circumstances surrounding the death remain subject to the coroner’s investigation.

The September hearing was opened and then adjourned, meaning further proceedings will take place at a later date.

There is therefore currently no public evidence establishing that another person caused Noah’s death.

NOAH’S FAMILY REMEMBERS A HAPPY LITTLE BOY

After his death, Noah’s family released a deeply personal statement asking people to remember him for the life he had lived rather than only the circumstances of his death.

They described him as a “happy, cheeky, playful three-year-old boy” who loved to laugh and giggle.

The family said Noah was at the centre of a loving household with his mother, father and baby brother.

They also explained that Noah was being assessed for autism but had not received a diagnosis.

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

They described his voice as unique and said it was one of the things they would miss most.

The family also described the bond between Noah and his younger brother as particularly special.

They asked for privacy as they tried to cope with the loss.

THEN A SECOND INVESTIGATION EMERGED

Days after the inquest opened, another development brought renewed attention to Noah’s case.

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

The trust said 10 employees had been removed from active duty or suspended while investigations were completed.

The trust has not established publicly that all 10 individuals accessed Noah’s records improperly.

That distinction is important.

The current position is that the employees have been removed from active duty or suspended while the facts are investigated — not that each person has been found guilty of breaching confidentiality.

THE NHS TRUST APOLOGISES TO NOAH’S FAMILY

Dr Martin Mansfield, deputy chief medical officer at the trust, said unauthorised access to patient information was “completely unacceptable.”

He said the trust understood the distress such access could cause patients and their families.

The trust apologised “unreservedly” to Noah’s family for the additional anguish caused at an already devastating time.

Once concerns were identified, the trust said immediate steps were taken to secure Noah’s records and prevent further access that was not for a legitimate clinical reason.

The matter has also been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, which confirmed that it was making enquiries with the trust.

The trust said disciplinary action would be considered depending on the findings of the investigation.

WHAT WAS ACCESSIBLE — AND WHY?

At this stage, authorities have not publicly disclosed exactly what information may have been viewed or why particular individuals accessed the records.

The investigation therefore still has several unanswered questions.

Were the records accessed deliberately?

Who accessed them?

What information was viewed?

Was any information copied, shared or disclosed?

And were the people involved authorised to access Noah’s medical information for a legitimate reason?

Those questions are now part of the investigation.

The trust has said it will keep Noah’s family informed as the process continues.

TWO SEPARATE QUESTIONS SURROUNDING NOAH’S DEATH

The developments surrounding the medical records should not be confused with the investigation into Noah’s death.

At present, there is no public evidence linking the medical-record investigation to the circumstances of his disappearance or death.

The first investigation concerns what happened to Noah after he left the playground and how he came to be found in Decoy Pond.

The second concerns whether his confidential medical information was accessed appropriately after his disappearance and death.

Both investigations are continuing independently.

THE COMMUNITY THAT SEARCHED FOR HIM

Noah’s disappearance brought an extraordinary response from Brantham and surrounding areas.

Approximately 1,300 members of the public joined the search, alongside professional emergency teams.

People searched roads, paths and surrounding areas, while specialist teams examined waterways.

Suffolk Police later praised the community response, describing it as an extraordinary demonstration of people coming together during a crisis.

For many of those volunteers, the discovery at Decoy Pond transformed the search from a desperate attempt to bring a missing child home into a tragedy.

AN INQUEST THAT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN

The inquest into Noah’s death has been opened but adjourned.

That means important questions remain unanswered.

The coroner will ultimately consider the available evidence concerning how Noah died.

Meanwhile, Suffolk Police still have enquiries to complete before submitting a file to the coroner.

At the same time, the NHS trust’s investigation into access to Noah’s medical records is continuing, with the ICO making its own enquiries.

For Noah’s family, however, the most important part of his story is not the investigations.

It is the little boy they remember.

A child who loved to laugh.

A child who loved to giggle.

A child who was learning new words and discovering the world around him.

And a three-year-old whose disappearance brought more than a thousand people together in the hope of bringing him home.

Now, as two separate investigations continue, Noah’s family is left to grieve while waiting for the remaining questions surrounding his final hours to be answered.

Noah was three years old. He disappeared through a gap in a fence. A huge community searched for him. And the discovery of his body turned that search into one of the most heartbreaking tragedies Brantham has faced.