Four more NHS workers have been fired for inappropriately accessing the medical records of the Nottingham stabbing victims, taking the total number of dismissals to 15.
Students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and grandfather Ian Coates, were knifed to death by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, while three others survived their injuries, on June 13, 2023.
On Thursday, NUH announced 11 staff members had been sacked, following investigations that began shortly after the breach was discovered.
In an update on Friday, it confirmed four more people had been fired and that it had issued 15 final written warnings and two first written warnings.
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it → fire → warnings
The medical director at NUH apologised for the 'actions of these staff members' and said he hopes the dismissals 'send a really clear message'.
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dismissals → apologise → message
The revelation comes as a public inquiry continues into the attack - and just days after a similar breach was reported in relation to the Southport attack victims.
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breach → come → victims
An investigation is also underway after NHS ambulance staff accessed or attempted to access the medical records of the man mauled to death by a tiger at Yorkshire zoo.
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staff → access → zoo
Students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar (left and centre) and grandfather Ian Coates (right) were knifed to death by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane in June 2023
Emma Webber, whose 19-year-old son Barnaby was killed in the attacks, called the incident 'shocking' and claimed the number of employees was actually as high as 150.
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number → knife → 150
Further investigations are also ongoing into the access of files relating to three survivors of the incident, the NUH said.
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NUH → relate → incident
Wayne Birkett, Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski were all injured by Calocane during the horrific attack.
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Birkett → injure → attack
Those who were investigated worked in departments across the trust, including doctors, nurses, medical professionals, admin and clerical colleagues.
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who → investigate → doctors
Ms Webber said: 'To learn that 11 staff have been dismissed and 14 faced disciplinary actions is shocking.
'
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14 → say → actions
What is more shocking is the scale of misconduct – 150 members of staff accessed the records.
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members → access → records
'The process is not yet complete so we anticipate these numbers to escalate considerably.
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numbers → anticipate → ?
The trust is also aware that we do not accept their findings that 48 members of staff had legitimate access.
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members → accept → access
The rationale given for legitimacy does not stack up and we are formally challenging this in order to scrutinise properly.
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we → give → this
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.
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who → have → staff
I'd ask them all to consider how they would feel if it was their child or father.'
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it → ask → them
Medical director at NUH, Dr Manjeet Shehmar said: '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.
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we → say → action
To lose a loved one in the way that the families of Ian, Grace and Barnaby have is heartbreaking enough.
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families → lose → Ian
'I am so sorry that they have had this further compounded by the actions of these staff members.'
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this → have → members
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, welcomed news that disciplinary action has been taken when it was first reported that 11 NHS workers had been fired.
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workers → welcome → news
'These were cruel, selfish actions that showed a complete disregard for the privacy of the victims and the harm that this would cause to their loved ones,' she said.
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she → show → ones
'It is vital that NUH (Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) takes action to protect patient records from this kind of misuse and that all staff understand that looking up a patient's records without proper, lawful justification is a serious violation.'
The Trust said it had contacted the families of Barnaby, Grace and Ian with the findings of the investigation.
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it → take → investigation
Both Nottinghamshire Police and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) have been made aware of the outcomes, while the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council are also expected to now look into the matter.
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Council → make → matter
An inquiry into the triple killings heard that a similar incident could happen again tomorrow as there is a 'lack of consequences' for police and mental health service failures, experts warned.
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experts → hear → failures
They said a series of 'red flags' about Calocane's behaviour were missed in the months prior to the fatal stabbings.
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series → say → stabbings
Calocane was sectioned four times between 2020 and 2022, and he once took a hammer into a hospital ward.
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he → section → ward
This was 'missed as an incident' before he was eventually discharged nine months before the attacks.
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he → miss → attacks
David Spencer, head of crime and justice at the Policy Exchange, called for police and NHS bosses to be held accountable for the attack.
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police → call → attack
He said the three victims were 'visited by evil', adding: 'There was a complete failure of leadership at so many different levels and there is almost a lack of consequences for that failure.'
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victims → say → failure
Meanwhile, former Old Bailey judge Wendy Joseph, KC, asked: 'How could police not have seen it coming?
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it → ask → ?
There was a clear link between mental illness, refusal to have treatment, violence against the police, a route that would take him before the courts.
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that → be → courts
And then nothing [happened].
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nothing → happen → ?
If the bereaved are angry, if we are all, there's a good reason for it.'
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we → bereave → it
On Thursday, it was revealed that three nurses have been referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) over the incident.
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nurses → reveal → incident
The Trust's chief nurse Diane Hull, who took up the post a month after the June 2023 attacks, answered questions from counsel to the inquiry, Rachel Langdale KC.
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who → take → inquiry
After being asked about disciplinary processes within the Trust in relation to the case, Ms Hull said: 'Three people have been referred to the NMC.
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people → ask → NMC
We regularly consult with the NMC.
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We → consult → NMC
'We've also committed… to do a further review of professional standards and practice following the inquiry as well.'
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We → commit → inquiry
Ms Hull said she did not recall what she had said at a meeting with colleagues which included a discussion around predictability and preventability.
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which → say → predictability
'I don't remember those exact words,' she told the inquiry.
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she → remember → inquiry
I don't think I could say that the terrible events of June the 13th could have been prevented.
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events → think → 13th
…and 17 more, not listed.
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