With the publication of the NHS England commissioned report on the NHS treatment of Valdo Calocane there is renewed urgency for the Public Inquiry promised in July 2024 to begin in earnest.
The report, carried out by Theemis Consulting, underlines repeated failures by multiple Government agencies which led to the tragic deaths of Grace O’Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates.
At a Press Conference on Wednesday 5th February, James Coates, Ian’s son, said the following on behalf of his family:
As a lot of you know that I’ve spoken to over the last 18 months plus I’m not one for talking.
This is completely out of my element, it’s the last thing I would ever want to do.
I’m such an introvert, this is my worst place I would want to be.
But I’m the voice for my father. He can’t speak for himself.
I take a lot on to protect my family and so my brothers don’t have to do this.
I take it all on myself and it’s hard. I work full time, I’ve got a new marriage, I have a lot of stress outside of work and my family life. And I don’t want anyone else to suffer, so I take it all on myself. It’s tough.
What makes it worse is that we’re dealing with an investigation into Nottinghamshire’s Mental Health Trust.
A trust that I should be relying on right now to help me. But I can’t. Because they failed. They failed the people of Nottingham, where I’m from – where my dad was from.
Who do we turn to when we need help?
The police, they failed us. The NHS, they failed us. The mental health teams of Nottinghamshire, they failed us.
Who do we turn to?
We only have ourselves to help each other, and with Hudgell Solicitors as well to help us.
I don’t know where we would be if we didn’t have ourselves as a group, and this family that has been thrust together because of one horrific day.
Because someone decided he wanted to go out on a murdering spree.
Over the last 18 months, I’ve lost all my faith in Nottinghamshire Mental Health Trust. A trust designed to help the residents of Nottingham, who sometimes can’t help themselves. The ones who have the weight of the world on their shoulders and don’t have anyone else to turn to.
Everyday people who look to the NHS, the police, and other support.
There is everyday people, including my father Ian who was 6 months away from retirement, working hard to get to that day when he could put down his tools and spend time with his grandchildren and do his hobbies like fishing and watching football.
That day was brutally snatched away from him in a spree killing that would have been prevented if Nottinghamshire Mental Health Trust just did their job.
That’s all we ask. Bottom line, just do the job your paid for.
The report shows the failures in just this individual case, this is a 300-page document for one patient. Just imagine what’s happening with the other patients in the mental health trust.
To the people of Nottingham, I am sorry that you’ve got nobody to help you.
To the patients in the care of the Nottingham Mental Health Trust, I’m sorry that you’ve been failed and you will continue to be failed until changes have been made.
Nottingham Attacks Statutory Public Inquiry
