Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust has announced the loss of historical maternity data during routine IT work. The incident, described as a "human error" on 18 August 2026, resulted in maternity records for women and babies who received care between September 2011 and November 2022 being overwritten.
While the trust has restored clinical information, including notes, observations, and test results, it has been unable to restore a complete history of who viewed these records. This means NUH may be unable to confirm whether a maternity record was viewed by a specific person during the affected period.
Nottinghamshire Police has been notified and is assessing the incident's potential impact on Operation Perth, an investigation into maternity care at Nottingham City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) was also informed, and NUH states it has taken steps to improve technical processes to prevent similar incidents.
Andy Callow, chief digital and information officer at NUH, apologised for the concern and distress the incident may cause. The Nottingham Maternity Family Group described the incident as "extremely unnerving," stating that families who have already experienced harm should not have to worry about the security of their records.