Nottingham NHS trust maternity data lost during routine IT work

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, at the heart of the largest maternity scandal in NHS history, has disclosed that it lost historical maternity data during routine IT maintenance. The missing data involves information from women and babies who received care between September 2011 and November 2022. Although the trust has managed to restore much of the overwritten maternity records since the error occurred on 18 August, it has been unable to retrieve the audit trail showing who accessed these records during the affected period.

This data loss adds another complication to ongoing investigations, as Nottinghamshire Police, informed on 4 September, are currently evaluating the consequences of the incident. Their inquiry is linked to Operation Perth, the criminal investigation into deaths and injuries connected to maternity services at Nottingham City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre, both managed by NUH. Officers visited the trust on 7 September to gather details surrounding the incident, assess any criminal implications, and explore chances of data recovery.

Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin, leading Operation Perth, explained that no criminal offense has yet been identified. He stated, “We have received a report from the individual concerned and have spoken with them. Further assessment is ongoing, and we are awaiting analysis of the digital process that was used.” Griffin also indicated that they expect to receive a copy of the affected database soon to aid recovery efforts and that the full impact on Operation Perth will become clearer once the outstanding analysis is completed. He acknowledged the concerns families might have and encouraged anyone affected to engage with the Operation Perth team for support and information.

NUH confirmed that current maternity patient data remains intact and that no patient information was accessed or misused following the incident. The trust notified the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and has implemented technical improvements to prevent future incidents. Andy Callow, NUH’s chief digital and information officer, expressed regret over the situation: “On 18 August 2026, a human error during a routine technical process resulted in a maternity records database being unintentionally overwritten. We took immediate action to investigate the incident and recover the affected information.” Meanwhile, the Nottingham Maternity Family Group, representing many affected families, described the data loss as “extremely unnerving,” emphasizing that such breaches further undermine trust in the NHS after families have already suffered significant harm. The group welcomed the involvement of both the ICO and police to determine whether any laws were broken and whether privacy rights were compromised

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