A survivor of the Nottingham attacks has told the health secretary to “get a grip” on mental health reform, after revealing that he has lost many of his childhood memories as a result of injuries sustained during the attack.
Wayne Birkett, now aged 62, suffered severe head injuries after being hit by a van driven by Valdo Calocane during his 90-minute rampage on June 13, 2023.
Calocane, who has schizophrenia, killed the students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, and Ian Coates, 65, a caretaker, during the same attack. Two other people, Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski, were also injured.
Birkett and his lawyer are due to meet Wes Streeting, the health secretary, on February 5 to urge the government to intervene to improve mental health care in Nottingham.
The former forklift truck driver, who was on his way to work when he was attacked, revealed that his injuries had stolen many of his childhood memories.
“I don’t remember much from when I was a kid … I don’t remember anything,” Birkett told The Times.
“Just my family telling me stories, which brings things back.”
Her friend Barnaby Webber, also 19, was walking home with her after a night out when they were attacked
PA
He had to learn to read and write again, and still struggles to recall the names of some colours and everyday objects.
In the early days after the attack, Birkett’s rehabilitation team in hospital did not tell him how his injuries had occurred.
“I didn’t know why I was there,” he said. “I felt like I was in a prison because no one would tell me, the police or the doctors — I don’t know, I just felt like I was in a prison…
“Not knowing why you were in this place, why you were in a wheelchair, why you had your head smashed in.”
Ian Coates, 65, was weeks away from retirement when he was killed
PA
Birkett and Miller, who was also seriously injured by Calocane, have written to Streeting to urge the government to improve Nottingham’s mental health services.
When asked what his message was to the health secretary, Birkett said he should “get a grip”.
• Mental health services in Nottingham were ‘not always humane’
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published 39 reports in the past 15 months into the quality of care and leadership at the NHS trust under which Calocane was treated.
The most recent report revealed that some recommendations had still not been acted on, two years after they were made.
Both Birkett and Miller had not known about the most recent CQC report until they were approached by the media, and were not informed of the report by the CQC.
They are both core participants in the upcoming public inquiry, which is due to begin on February 23.
Birkett and his lawyer, Greg Almond of Rothera Bray solicitors, said that the lack of contact with the CQC was “symptomatic” of how the three survivors had been treated by other government agencies.
“They survived the attacks — they are different to the bereaved families … The organisations, the CQC are just one of those that have overlooked the survivors,” Almond added.
• Loophole letting killers claim benefits to be closed
Calocane, who had schizophrenia diagnosed before the attacks, was sentenced to a hospital order in January 2024 after admitting three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder.
More than two years after the attack, Birkett is still suffering from memory loss.
“The worst thing is memory, where people you’ve known for years come up to you, try to talk to you and you’re like … I’m sorry,” he said. “They’re trying to be polite, but things like that.”
Birkett also struggles with some recall, and some everyday tasks. “If [my partner] says, can you pass me a cup of coffee, I’ll go and bring her something like a plant pot,” he said.
“I’ve learnt to live with it, cope with it — with headaches, with what’s wrong with my body. I think I’m doing a good job.”
• Nottingham victims’ families left in dark over misconduct cases
For Birkett, the public inquiry could provide some answers about what happened that morning — and the events leading up to that day that allowed Calocane to wreak havoc on Nottingham’s streets.
But he thinks closure is unlikely to come. “I don’t think I’ll get closure. I’ve got to live with myself and I’ve had to cope with it,” he said. “I think I’m doing a very good job … Sometimes I get stressed when it comes up on the news. It’s always there.”
Birkett said his partner, Tracey Hodgson, “saved his life” and “is just an angel”. Birkett has been with her for “a very long time”. After the attack, he “didn’t remember” who she was. “I didn’t know anyone,” he said.
Jenny Wilkes, interim director of mental health at the CQC, said: “We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by the devastating attack that took place in Nottingham in June 2023.
“The report published on January 14 is on our findings from a trust-wide well-led review in September 2025 to assess the leadership at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. This follows a programme of assessments recommended by our review of the trust published in 2024.”
She added that the CQC had made contact with the survivors and were arranging to meet them.
A government spokesperson said: “Our deepest sympathies remain with those living with the impact of the Nottingham attacks. The ongoing statutory inquiry will help build a clear understanding of the events that led to these horrendous attacks.
“We’ve already taken action to try and prevent horrific attacks like this happening again, including by reforming the Mental Health Act and ensuring every mental health provider reviews and sets out action plans for the way they care for people with serious mental illness.”
They added that the health secretary met victims’ families in December, and that the government was committed to delivering the changes needed for mental health care.