The key facts
- NUH NHS Trust dismissed 15 staff for unauthorised access to records of the 2023 attack victims
- Yorkshire Ambulance Service is investigating possible access to the records of William Chapman, killed by a tiger on 10 October
- Yvette Cooper expects dismissals and suspensions of offenders; victims' families have asked to meet her
Minister demanded action against offenders
UK Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, speaking on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, called it a 'disgrace' that NHS staff had accessed the medical records of the victims of the Nottingham attacks and of the man killed by a tiger. She said the NHS has proper standards for data protection and confidentiality, and she expects measures to be applied to offenders, including dismissals, and that staff will be swiftly suspended from work while investigations are ongoing. Cooper added that she had discussed the situation with the head of NHS England.
Dismissals at the Nottingham trust
Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH) confirmed the dismissal of a total of 15 staff for unauthorised access to the medical records of the victims of the 13 June 2023 attacks, when Valdo Calocane stabbed students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar and elderly Ian Coates. In May, the trust reported the dismissal of 11 staff and notified the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Nottinghamshire Police. At the time, the ICO said it would assess the evidence provided by the trust, and police said there was no criminal investigation. In an update on Friday, NUH said action had been taken against doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers and staff; regulators including the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council, as well as the ICO and police, were notified. The trust is also implementing a new, trial-stage system for protecting patient records, which is intended to alert to potential breaches. NUH Medical Director Dr Manjit Shehmara previously stated that 'there is no excuse for accessing a patient's records without a legitimate reason'.
Reaction of victims' families
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, said on Saturday that the victims' families would like to meet Cooper and called for action over the leaks. 'I am shocked. It is time to get a grip on these failures,' he said, adding that the way 'the most confidential data — medical data — is treated by voyeuristic individuals in the NHS is disgraceful'. He asked the minister 'when this will stop' and what she is doing to end the suffering of victims of crimes and major incidents.
Possible leak in the tiger death case
On Friday, Yorkshire Ambulance Service said staff may have gained unauthorised access to the medical records of 24-year-old William Chapman, who died on 10 October after a tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster. The trust has launched an investigation 'to establish all the circumstances of the potential breaches', said Chapman's family had been informed of the possible leak, and expressed condolences to the relatives. At an inquest on Thursday, it was reported that Chapman died from 'multiple traumatic injuries and interaction with an animal' after entering the tiger enclosure.
Image source, Supplied
Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates were killed in the Nottingham attacks
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, Grace's father, said he it was "time to get a handle on these failures"
Image source, Supplied
William Chapman, 24, was mauled to death at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on 10 October
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said there had to be a "proper respect for patients" in the NHS
