Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins has ordered a special review into Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust where Valdo Calocane was treated for paranoid schizophrenia.
Calocane, responsible for the killings of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates in Nottingham in June 2023, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to poor mental health. He had originally been charged with murder. The review aims to provide further answers for the families of the victims, and will also focus on wider issues in mental healthcare provision in Nottinghamshire, including at Highbury Hospital and the high-secure Rampton Hospital.
Conducted by The Care Quality Commission (CQC), it will be carried out alongside the Independent Mental Health Homicide Review ordered by NHS England to examine the case of Valdo Calocane.
Any concerns regarding patient safety, quality of care, or public safety will be reported by the CQC, and it will have access to witness statements and oral evidence regarding health services which were called during the criminal trial.
Acknowledging the importance of identifying any failings as quickly as possible, the Health and Social Care Secretary has asked the CQC to present its findings in March. The government will then issue its response to the review in due course.
Investigations continue at Highbury Hospital in the light of separate recent staff suspensions and a rapid improvement plan is underway, overseen by a new oversight board established to ensure appropriate action is being taken.
Rampton Hospital recently received an ‘inadequate’ inspection rating from the CQC. The government has asked the regulator to assess the progress made by the hospital to improve standards since that inspection.
Director of Mental Health at CQC, Chris Dzikiti says: “We will conduct a rapid review into mental health services in Nottingham to understand whether there are any practical actions which can be taken to improve the quality of services and ensure people receive safe and effective care. We will begin this work immediately, aiming to report to the Secretary of State before the end of March.”
HSSIB review
Separately, last autumn, the government announced the new Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) will soon commence a national investigation into mental health inpatient care settings, including inpatient deaths and the transition between child and adult mental health services. The recommendations from that far-reaching investigation will help service providers to improve safety standards in mental health facilities across the country.
Claire Murdoch, NHS National Mental Health Director says: “The killings of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates are devastating, and my thoughts are with their families who have suffered unimaginable loss.
“It is essential that there is a thorough review that looks into all agencies involved, and to ensure appropriate action is taken. NHS England is commissioning an independent investigation into the case, and we will cooperate fully with the Government’s review of the Trust’s mental health services, while continuing to provide the Trust with intensive support to protect patient safety in partnership with the CQC.”
