Three nurses referred to regulator, Nottingham attacks public inquiry told
The inquiry continues
Three nurses have been referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in relation to Nottingham attacks triple-killer Valdo Calocane, a public inquiry has heard.
The inquiry was also told the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is committed to a further review of professional standards and practice once the current hearings are over.
Giving evidence to the inquiry, the Trust’s chief nurse Diane Hull, who took up the post a month after the June 2023 attacks, said taking different action in relation to Calocane “might” have “impacted the outcome” in his case.
University of Nottingham students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and grandfather Ian Coates were all stabbed to death by Calocane.
The paranoid schizophrenic then went on to use Mr Coates’s van to attempt to kill three others and later pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter and three of attempted murder.
The inquiry has heard claims of several missed opportunities to prevent the attacks, including a failure to arrest Calocane over an alleged assault at a warehouse.
Ms Hull told the inquiry on Thursday that three nurses had been referred to the NMC.
Answering questions from counsel to the inquiry Rachel Langdale KC, Ms Hull said she had qualified as a registered mental health nurse in 1990 and most of her clinical experience was in acute mental health.
Querying disciplinary processes within the Trust, Ms Langdale asked: “In relation to VC’s case we understand one doctor has self-referred.
“One doctor, we were told yesterday by the medical director, the GMC indicated did not meet the referral criteria.
“Have any of those been referred by the trust, as far as you’re aware, to the GMC?”
Ms Hull added: “I don’t know about doctors. I can tell you about nurses.
“Three people have been referred to the NMC. We regularly consult with the NMC.
“We’ve also committed… to do a further review of professional standards and practice following the inquiry as well.”
Ms Hull said she did not recall what she had said at a meeting with colleagues which included a discussion around predictability and preventability.
“I don’t remember those exact words,” she told the inquiry.
“I don’t think I could say that the terrible events of June the 13th could have been prevented.
“But what I can say, with absolute clarity, is that we failed to exhaust all of the options and all of the interventions available to us.
“And given the kind of things we’ve heard, particularly through the inquiry, it does lead me to think that had we at different points during his care and our contacts… had we and others taken different action it might have impacted the outcome.”
Dr Susan Elcock, the Trust’s executive medical director, gave evidence on Wednesday and was also asked if she believed the killings could have been prevented.
Dr Elcock answered: “I think there are clearly a number of errors and missed opportunities in terms of care and oversight which might have meant that his care had been delivered in a different way.
“In terms of them going on to whether it could have been predicted, the levels of risk and the risk incidence are such, from my clinical perspective, it would be very difficult to link in terms of predicting the level of future violence and the tragic outcomes.”