Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust announced a significant data loss affecting maternity records spanning from September 2011 to November 2022. The incident occurred on August 18 as a result of human error in the IT department while performing routine technical work to create a copy of a radiotherapy database. According to the hospital’s statement, pre-written computer instructions intended for use on the radiotherapy database were instead applied to the maternity database without a required setting adjustment, resulting in the maternity records database being overwritten.
The primary impact of the data loss relates to access logs rather than patient information itself. The hospital was unable to fully restore viewing history records for the maternity database during the affected period, meaning it cannot confirm in most cases whether specific individuals accessed particular patient records between September 2011 and November 2022. However, the hospital successfully recovered actual patient care data, including clinical notes, observations, test results, and other information directly related to patient treatment.
NUH stated that it identified and escalated the problem within minutes and worked with external specialists to recover data. Officials confirmed that no patient information was inappropriately accessed or used as a result of the incident and that current patient care operations remain unaffected. Andy Callow, the hospital’s chief digital and information officer, apologized for any concern caused and indicated that the institution has implemented unspecified measures to strengthen technical controls and processes to prevent similar incidents.
The data loss occurs within a broader context of investigations into maternity care at the hospital. A review released earlier this year examined allegations that over 500 mothers and babies experienced potentially avoidable harm or deaths due to systemic issues within the maternity department. Additionally, a police investigation in June 2025 concluded that a file containing maternity patient records was likely erased intentionally or maliciously, though that data was recovered within days. Nottinghamshire Police is currently investigating whether the recent data loss affects the larger case and whether criminal charges should be filed, though authorities have not yet identified any crime related to the recent incident.
Maternity Family Group, representing some affected families, characterized the data loss as “extremely unnerving,” stating that families who have already experienced preventable harm should not face additional concerns about record security.
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