Yvette Cooper has branded the unauthorized viewing of sensitive National Health Service records a “disgrace,” demanding action be taken against staff following revelations that 15 staff members at a Nottingham hospital trust were sacked for accessing the files of attack victims.
Speaking to the BBC, Cooper emphasized that there must be proper respect for patients. The comments follow confirmation from Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust that it has dismissed 15 employees, including doctors, nurses, and other registered healthcare professionals, for inappropriately accessing the medical records of the victims of the tragic June 2023 attacks carried out by Valdo Calocane.
Calocane killed 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar alongside 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates, and attempted to kill three others. In January 2024, Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder.
Disciplinary Actions and Systemic Vulnerabilities
According to updates provided by NUH, the trust has dismissed 15 staff members and has also issued 15 final written warnings and two first written warnings during its investigation. The victims’ families were briefed on the latest update this week. Independent regulators, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the General Medical Council, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and Nottinghamshire Police, have been informed.
Dr. Manjeet Shehmar, medical director at NUH, stated that there is simply no excuse for accessing patient files without a legitimate reason, noting that the trust hopes the action sends a clear message. The trust is currently testing a new system designed to protect patient records and alert the trust to potential breaches.
Similar high-profile data breaches have surfaced in recent months. In May, it emerged that dozens of staff at University Hospitals of Liverpool Group had looked at the records of victims of the 2024 Southport attack, which left three girls dead and 10 others injured. Separately, the records of a three-year-old boy hurt after falling into a crocodile pit in Cambridgeshire in June were viewed by about 40 hospital staff.
Nationwide Crackdown and Legal Threats
Sir Jim Mackey, the head of NHS England, announced last month that NHS staff suspected of inappropriately accessing patient medical records will be suspended immediately and have their access to health service computer systems cut off. Sir Jim wrote to all NHS trusts demanding that the new approach be implemented.
Sir Jim warned that “snooping” could cost staff their careers and they could end up with a criminal record. While Nottinghamshire Police previously stated that there was “no criminal investigation” into the NUH staff access at the time, regulatory bodies continue to evaluate evidence provided by the trust.
As the health secretary demands proper data and privacy standards, the trust is implementing a new system to protect patient records in future.
