Eleven NHS Staff Sacked For Accessing Nottingham Attack Victims’ Medical Records

Eleven NHS staff sacked for accessing Nottingham attack victims’ medical records An NHS trust has dismissed 11 members of staff, including doctors and nurses, after they were found to have inappropriately accessed the medical records of victims of the Nottingham attacks, in a serious breach of patient confidentiality.

The disciplinary action was taken by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust following an internal investigation into access to sensitive medical files belonging to victims of the June 2023 Nottingham stabbing attacks. The attack, carried out by Valdo Calocane, resulted in the deaths of students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, and also left others injured. According to the trust, around 150 staff members accessed the victims’ records during the review period, though it stated that some had legitimate clinical reasons for doing so. However, investigators found that a significant number had no valid justification for viewing the confidential files. Alongside the 11 staff who were dismissed, a further 14 employees received disciplinary sanctions, including written warnings, but were allowed to remain in their roles. The trust said it had reported the matter to relevant regulatory bodies, including the Information Commissioner’s Office ICO, the Nursing and Midwifery Council NMC, and the General Medical Council GMC, which may consider further action against individuals involved. Medical director at the trust, Dr Manjeet Shehmar, described the breaches as unacceptable and apologised to the families affected, stressing that accessing patient records without legitimate reason undermines trust in the healthcare system. Families of the victims have previously condemned the scale of the breach, expressing distress that confidential records relating to their loved ones were accessed by hospital staff who were not involved in their care.Investigations into the full extent of the data access are still ongoing, including whether more staff may face disciplinary or regulatory action.