Four More NHS Staff Fired for Accessing Nottingham Stabbing Victims' Records
Total dismissals reach 15 as 17 warnings are issued for unauthorized access to medical files of victims of the June 2023 attack.
Four additional National Health Service (NHS) workers have been dismissed for improperly accessing the medical records of victims from the Nottingham stabbing incident, bringing the total number of firings to 15. Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust also issued 17 warnings, including 15 final written warnings and two first written warnings, following investigations into the breaches.
The unauthorized access occurred in 2025, involving employees who accessed the records of Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates without a legitimate reason. These three individuals were fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane on June 13, 2023. Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, also injured three other people during the attacks.
Dr. Manjeet Shehmar, Medical Director at NUH, apologized for the staff's actions and stated that the dismissals aim to send a clear message. "There is simply no excuse for accessing the records of a patient without a legitimate reason, and I hope this sends a really clear message – we will investigate and we will take action," Dr. Shehmar said. He extended condolences to the families of the victims, acknowledging that the breach had further compounded their grief.
Emma Webber, mother of victim Barnaby Webber, expressed shock at the number of staff involved, claiming the actual number could be as high as 150 and challenging the trust's findings that 48 staff had legitimate access. "It's heartbreaking that on top of our tragic loss, we've also had to face such appalling additional failures by members of staff who should know better," she stated.
Investigations are also ongoing into the access of files related to the three survivors of the attack. The NUH confirmed that staff members investigated worked across various departments, including doctors, nurses, medical professionals, and administrative personnel.
This incident follows recent revelations of similar data breaches. An investigation is also underway after NHS ambulance staff accessed or attempted to access the medical records of a man who died after entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. Separately, ten staff members were removed from duty at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust for suspected access to the records of a three-year-old boy found dead in a lake.
The Nottingham attack is currently the subject of a public inquiry, which has heard concerns that similar failures could occur again due to a perceived lack of consequences for institutional shortcomings. Experts have highlighted missed