More NHS staff sacked over Nottingham attacks records breach
An NHS trust has now dismissed 15 employees for inappropriately accessing the medical records of victims of the Nottingham attacks. Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust confirmed the updated figure on Friday, adding to the 11 sackings it had announced in May. The trust has also issued 15 final written warnings and two first written warnings as part of its investigation.
Outrage from victims’ families
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar, said he was appalled. “It’s time to get a handle on these failures,” he said. Kumar described the access to highly confidential medical data by “voyeuristic people in the NHS” as disgraceful.
Dr Manjeet Shehmar, medical director at NUH, said there was no excuse for accessing patient records without a legitimate reason. “I hope this sends a really clear message – we will investigate and we will take action,” Shehmar said. Shehmar added that the loss of loved ones in the way the families of Ian, Grace and Barnaby have experienced is heartbreaking enough. “I am so sorry that they have had this further compounded by the actions of these staff members,” Shehmar said.
Investigation and safeguards
The trust said action was taken against doctors, nurses, registered healthcare professionals and other staff. Two cases were found to have no case to answer, and no action was taken. Regulators including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Medical Council, the Information Commissioner’s Office and Nottinghamshire Police have been informed.
NUH is testing a new system to protect patient records and alert the trust to potential breaches. It has also run a campaign called “Your Responsibility, Your Actions, Their Privacy” to educate staff on data protection and the serious consequences of not following the rules. Shehmar said the trust will continue to investigate inappropriate access and take action where necessary. Shehmar noted that the actions of the staff members were disappointing but represented a small number of the wider workforce. Investigations are continuing, including into inappropriate access of files of surviving victims Wayne Birkett, Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski. The Nottingham attacks occurred on 13 June 2023, when Valdo Calocane stabbed to death students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and grandfather Ian Coates. Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, is serving an indefinite hospital order after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in January 2024.
