The investigation followed a probe by Nottinghamshire Police that came to the same conclusion.

Anthony May, chief executive at NUH said: ‘We recognise that the loss of data caused significant distress and uncertainty for the families affected. We are deeply sorry for the impact this had and for the additional worry caused at what was already an extremely difficult time.

‘When we became aware of the deletion of key records from the Medical Examiner's Office in July 2024, immediate steps were taken to retrieve the data, which were successful, and we informed key partners including Nottinghamshire Police and Donna Ockenden. Nottinghamshire Police investigated the incident and concluded that the deletion was most likely to have been deliberate and intentional, but were not able to identify a responsible individual. 

‘We then commissioned a further independent investigation, which reached the same conclusion, as well as providing a number of recommendations that we are following up on to improve our records keeping and help prevent a similar incident from occurring again.'

NUH reported the further accidental loss of data files during routine work on 18 August.

Fifteen staff members were sacked in October over inappropriate access of medical records of the victims of Valdo Calocane.