Nottingham Hospitals confirms first outcomes of inappropriate access investigations | Latest news

• NUH confirms actions taken in investigations into inappropriate access of medical records of Ian Coates, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber
• 11 members of staff have been dismissed and a further 14 have had actions taken against them
• Further investigations are ongoing

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has confirmed that 11 members of staff have been dismissed, with actions being taken against another  14 , as part of their investigation into the inappropriate access of the medical records of  Ian Coates, Grace O'Malley- Kumar  and Barnaby Webber.  

Since starting investigations in early 2025, the Trust has  been conducting thorough and professional inquiries to  identify  wrongdoing and to take necessary action.  The first  of those investigations are now complete, with families being informed of the outcomes this week.   

Actions taken   as part of those  investigations ,  to which regulatory standards are applied to ensure a fair approach , include :  

• Two first written warnings  

• 12 final written warnings  

• 11 dismissals  

Staff included in these investigations include doctors, nurses, registered  medical  professionals and  admin and clerical c olleagues.   

Dr Manjeet  Shehmar , Medical Director at  NUH , said:  “The  families of Ian, Grace and Barnaby have had to endure much pain and  heartache,  and I am  truly sorry  that the actions of some of our staff have added to that.  

"To access  the medical  records of  our patients without a legitimate reason  is totally unacceptable  and we are doing all we can to identify where and how that has happened . I hope that the families,  staff  and our communities feel reassured by the outcomes so far ,  that we are taking this seriously and will continue to do so.  

“ We know that  the vast majority of  our staff understand that  appropriate access   is a fundamental principle of our duty of care and  know that  it is essential that access to  patient  records is lawful, justified, and  directly related  to  their  role .  By accessing records inappropriately, staff are  damaging the valuable contributions made by those colleagues providing care for those patients .    In those  cases where it does  happen, I hope that this is  a very clear  reminder that we will take  appropriate action .”  

Follow-up activity will now take place with relevant independent regulators, such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council and General Medical Council.  The Trust has also informed the  Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Nottinghamshire Police.   

Further investigations are ongoing into inappropriate access, including into the files of  surviving victims, including Wayne Birkett, Sharon  Miller  and  Marcin Gawronski .  

Dr Manjeet  Shehmar , Medical Director  will be giving evidence in May 2026 on the investigations at  the Nottingham Inquiry - the ongoing public inquiry into the devastating attacks in June 2023.

The Trust has  been working with staff to educate them through  a  ‘Your Responsibility, Your Actions, Their Privacy’ campaign , which offers the information colleagues need to understand  roles and responsibilities in relation to data protection and of the  serious consequences  of data breaches.   Work is also underway to further protect  patient records with a new system that will  monitor   access,   identify  suspicious behaviour, and generate  alerts,  audits  and reports.