NHS England urged to reconsider refusal to release full Nottingham killer report

By Josh Payne and Ella Pickover, Reporter4th February 2025News EnglandHospitals, Mental Health, News England, NHS, Nottinghamshire, Serious / Significant Case Review / Inquest

NHS England have been urged to reconsider its decision to refuse publishing a full report into the care received by Nottingham triple killer Valdo Calocane, despite the wishes of the victims’ families.

A summary of the independent mental health homicide report is due to be made publicly available later this week, but the full version will be kept confidential due to “data protection legislation relating to patient information”.

The PA news agency understands only Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust will have access to the full report, with all other mental health trusts also receiving just a summary.

Calocane (pictured) was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after killing 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates, before attempting to kill three others, in a spate of attacks in Nottingham in June 2023.

Prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to murder after medical evidence showed he had paranoid schizophrenia.

He was later sentenced for manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and attempted murder.

Speaking on behalf of the families ahead of the NHS England (NHSE) report’s publication, adviser Radd Seiger told PA: “The families have already reached out to NHSE to strongly urge them to publish the findings in full.

“They believe it is very much in the public interest and in the interests of safety to do so. NHSE have thus far refused.”

An NHS England spokesperson said: “Independent mental health homicide reports are commissioned by NHS England and published in line with the requirements of confidentiality and data protection legislation relating to patient information.”