Four more NHS staff dismissed over access to records of Nottingham attack victims

The key facts

NUH has dismissed a total of 15 staff for unlawfully accessing records of the Nottingham attack victims
Fifteen final and two first written warnings have also been issued; no breaches were found in two cases
Regulators, the ICO and Nottinghamshire Police have been informed; the public inquiry's findings will be published by May 2027

Dismissals rise to 15

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust said on Friday that it has dismissed a total of 15 staff for unlawfully accessing the medical records of the victims of the Nottingham attacks. In May the trust had confirmed 11 dismissals. Action has been taken against doctors, nurses, registered healthcare professionals and other staff. In addition to the dismissals, 15 final written warnings and two first written warnings have been issued; in two cases it was established that there were no grounds for complaint, and no action was taken.

The trust's response

NUH medical director Dr Manjit Sheemar said: 'There is simply no excuse for accessing a patient's records without a legitimate reason, and I hope this sends an absolutely clear message — we will investigate and take action.' She added that she was sorry that families who had already suffered loss had faced the actions of these staff members. According to her, investigations are ongoing, the trust is training staff on access rules and is implementing a new system for detecting potential data breaches, which is currently being tested. A campaign called 'Your Responsibility, Your Actions, Their Privacy' on data protection has also been run.

Context of the attacks

Students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar and grandfather Ian Coates were stabbed to death on 13 June 2023 by Valdo Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020. In January 2024 he admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility and is serving an indefinite hospital order in a high-security institution.

Investigations at other organisations

NUH is not the only organisation where staff unlawfully viewed case materials. In December 2024 an investigation was launched into alleged unlawful access to computer files by Ministry of Justice staff; the MoJ's interim director of the general operations group, Amy Holmes, told the inquiry that she could not disclose details because of an ongoing police investigation. It also emerged that seven probation officers had accessed information: four lawfully and three without lawful basis, but probation and the MoJ's data protection unit deemed the breaches not serious enough for further action. Nottinghamshire Police staff also repeatedly viewed materials without a legitimate purpose; after a complaint by Barnaby's mother Emma Webber in March, police confirmed an audit was being carried out.

Public inquiry

The first dismissals came to light against the backdrop of the judge-led Nottingham Inquiry public investigation, chaired by retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC. From February to June 2026, 164 witnesses were heard over 14 weeks, and two days of closing statements took place in September. The hearings examined the authorities' interactions with Calocane before the attacks and identified failures and missed opportunities by agencies, including the NHS and police: Calocane was detained for compulsory treatment under the Mental Health Act four times and had a history of police contacts related to violence. The inquiry's findings will be published by May 2027. NUH is also continuing its investigation into unlawful access to the files of surviving victims — Wayne Birkett, Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski.