A senior mental health practitioner has told an inquiry that NHS staff were unable to locate or effectively work with Valdo Calocane, the individual responsible for the Nottingham triple murders, prior to his discharge from services. Emma Robinson, a senior practitioner at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, gave evidence regarding the challenges faced by staff in managing Calocane's care, which ultimately led to his discharge.
Ms. Robinson's testimony revealed that Calocane was discharged from mental health services in May 2022, approximately a year before he carried out the fatal attacks in Nottingham. She stated that staff encountered significant difficulties in engaging with him, citing instances where they 'couldn't work with' or even 'find him'. This raises serious questions about the procedures and safeguards in place when individuals with complex mental health needs are released from care.
The inquiry is meticulously examining the care provided to Calocane by the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in the period leading up to the tragic events of June 2023. Calocane killed university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65. The inquiry seeks to understand whether there were any missed opportunities or failings in his treatment and monitoring that could have prevented the attacks.
Calocane was subsequently given an indefinite hospital order after admitting to the manslaughter of the three victims by diminished responsibility. His defence successfully argued that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attacks. The ongoing inquiry is crucial for the families of the victims who are seeking answers and for the wider public to have confidence in mental health services.
The revelations from Ms. Robinson's testimony underscore the complexities faced by mental health professionals in managing patients who disengage from treatment. It also highlights the critical importance of robust protocols for patient tracking and risk assessment, particularly when considering discharge from services. The outcomes of this inquiry are expected to inform potential changes in practice within NHS mental health trusts across the country.
The Government, through the Department of Health and Social Care, will be closely monitoring the findings of this inquiry. Any recommendations for systemic changes in mental health care provision would likely lead to a review of existing guidelines and potentially new policy directives to enhance patient safety and public protection. Opposition parties are expected to press for accountability and assurances that such circumstances will be prevented in the future, particularly regarding the interface between mental health services and public safety.
Source: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry