Public Apology Over Medical Data Breaches
The medical director of Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust has publicly apologized for "failures" identified during an inquiry into inappropriate access of medical records belonging to victims of the Nottingham attacks.
The NUH NHS Trust is conducting an internal investigation into staff members who breached data protocols following attacks perpetrated by Valdo Calocane on 13 June 2023. Calocane killed three individuals and seriously injured three others during the incident.
Last week, the trust announced that 11 employees had been dismissed after initial investigations into the breaches. NUH medical director Manjeet Shehmar expressed regret for the trust's initial failure to consider the surviving victims during the early stages of the investigation and pledged that the trust would "continue to learn" from these events.
Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, fatally stabbed Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates. Subsequently, he stole Ian Coates's van and used it to strike pedestrians Wayne Birkett, Sharon Miller, and Marcin Gawronski, causing serious and life-altering injuries.
Following the killings and Calocane's sentencing in January 2024, it was revealed that NUH staff had accessed the victims' medical records without authorization in 2025, which triggered an internal investigation.
Shehmar assumed the role of strategic commander for the ongoing investigations, as detailed during the inquiry.
On Wednesday, the inquiry disclosed that among the 11 NUH staff members dismissed, four were nurses, one was categorized as an "other registered professional," and six were classified as "other staff." Additionally, four doctors, five nurses, one "other registered professional," and two "other staff" members received final written warnings.
None of the medical professionals who accessed the records inappropriately voluntarily reported their actions before the breaches were uncovered, the inquiry was informed.
Addressing the victims' families during her testimony, Shehmar stated:
"I acknowledge that there have been failures and we will work towards putting them right.
I cannot change what has happened, but what I can do is formally apologise to you because we have caused additional distress to you.
You have already had to endure unimaginable pain and suffering, and I know that the actions of some of our staff have added to that distress, and continue to add to that distress.
I want to reaffirm our commitment to work with you for the duration of these investigations and engage with you, and I would also like to give the commitment that we will continue to learn, we will continue to improve."
Initial Investigation Focus and Survivors' Records
Initially, the trust's investigation concentrated solely on inappropriate access to the records of deceased victims, excluding the surviving victims. It was only after the solicitor representing survivors Wayne Birkett and Sharon Miller contacted the trust in March 2025 that NUH expanded its consideration to include the survivors, the inquiry was told.
When questioned about this limited focus, Shehmar explained that the trust's attention was "very much on the deceased victims" at the time.
She further elaborated:
"The second point to mention that myself as strategic commander - if I'm completely honest with you... I'm not from Nottingham.
What I knew about this matter was really what I knew in the media and what I had read about previously in 2023 and with the media at that point.
It had not come to my attention and at that point, I had not really considered the surviving victims."
Shehmar acknowledged that she lacked the "in-depth context" necessary to request further information from others in the strategic group, who were "closer to the detail." The executive medical director admitted she was initially unaware of the existence of surviving victims but conceded that if she had "sat and thought about it, [she] probably would have remembered."
She apologized to the inquiry:
"I apologise that we did not consider them from the beginning."
Shehmar also acknowledged that NUH would likely have remained unaware of the data breaches related to the Nottingham attacks had the bereaved families not brought the issue to the trust's attention.
The inquiry was informed that Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for Calocane's care, alerted NUH to data breaches in October 2024.
Tim Moloney KC, representing the bereaved families, emphasized their crucial role in prompting the audit of the data breaches, stating:
"And but for that audit, let's face it, you'd have been none the wiser of the systemic failings that you've spoken about today, and the failings of your campaigns in relation to education, in relation to access to data.
You wouldn't know all this would you?"
Shehmar admitted the trust "would not have known about this matter" without the families' intervention, although she noted that the trust was aware that data breaches had been occurring.
The inquiry heard that NUH had conducted communication campaigns warning staff against inappropriate data access for several years prior to the investigations.
Failure to Contact Victims' Families
NUH also failed to contact Elaine Newton, partner of the deceased Ian Coates for 25 years, regarding the data breaches, the inquiry revealed.
Shehmar explained that the trust sought advice on which family members should be contacted and was advised to reach out to Ian Coates's three sons: James, Lee, and Darren. Discussions were held about whether Elaine Newton should be contacted.
Moloney questioned Shehmar:
"You didn't ultimately contact Ms Newton. Do you know what Elaine Newton does for a living?"
"Do you know where she works?"
"She works at the City Hospital in Nottingham. Which trust essentially controls the City Hospital in Nottingham?"
"She actually works for your trust," Moloney stated.
"As the strategic commander, are you not appalled that a woman whose partner was horribly killed and members of your staff accessed her records, who actually works for your organisation, has not had an apology from you, her employer?"
Shehmar responded that it was "distressing to hear."
Ongoing Investigations and Awaited Details
The survivors, their families, and the bereaved families continue to await further information regarding the data breaches, including specifics about what information was accessed, by whom, and for what reasons, the inquiry was informed.
Listen to BBC Radio Nottingham on Sounds and follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.
