The NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has pledged full cooperation with a statutory public investigation into local mental health services that began its public hearings in London on February 23, 2026. The Nottingham Inquiry is examining the medical care and “systemic neglect” involving Valdo Calocane prior to the attacks in June 2023 that resulted in the deaths of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates.
The inquiry is chaired by retired Senior Circuit Judge Deborah Taylor and aims to scrutinize the clinical decisions made by mental health professionals. In September 2022, the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) discharged Calocane to the care of his family doctor due to “non-engagement” after he stopped attending appointments, despite his history of paranoid schizophrenia and violence.
During the opening of the proceedings, the inquiry heard that medical staff may have decided not to section Calocane in 2020 partly because clinicians considered “race research” regarding the over-representation of young black men in mental health detention. The investigation will now examine if these demographic concerns overshadowed clinical risk assessments during his treatment.
Amanda Sullivan, Chief Executive of the local ICB, stated that health leaders are committed to providing a clear understanding of the “acts and omissions” that preceded the tragedy. The process is expected to lead to sweeping changes in safety protocols and the way secondary mental health services and local GPs coordinate care for high-risk patients in the community.
