London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Families in Nottingham maternity inquiry hit out at review

Families in Nottingham maternity inquiry hit out at review

Dozens of families have written to the government expressing concern over a review into failing maternity units in Nottingham. A letter states a review into failing maternity services in Nottingham is moving like treacle.
A probe into Nottingham University Hospitals Trust is under way after dozens of babies died or were injured.

But families say the review is "moving with the viscosity of treacle".

They have called for Donna Ockenden, who led the inquiry into the UK's biggest maternity scandal, to take charge of a review.

'Answer is Donna Ockenden'


In a letter to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, a group of 100 people raised concerns with the current thematic review, which has been commissioned by the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) and NHS England, and NHS Improvement.

According to the CCG, the review will look at themes and trends and put in "place detailed and measurable actions so improvements can be made fast".

But families have questioned the independence of the review and the experience of the team to handle a probe of this magnitude.

It is chaired by Cathy Purt, a long-time NHS manager who the families believe has no experience of running complex inquiries or maternity services.

The letter states: "If families are to be safeguarded, real intervention is required.

"The review so far has been less than impactful, understaffed and moving with the viscosity of treacle."

The families say the "answer is Donna Ockenden", who led the inquiry into the maternity scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Hospitals Trust.

Sarah Hawkins, who was awarded a £2.8m settlement after her daughter was delivered stillborn after mistakes at Nottingham City Hospital in 2016, said a review by Donna Ockenden would lead to many more affected families coming forward.

"I am confident that we will get into the thousands of families," she said.

Her husband Jack Hawkins added: "We need urgent change to how maternity is working in Nottingham. There are still babies coming to harm.

"Donna Ockenden knows what she's doing. She's got huge wealth of experience and expertise.

"This current team is not going to deliver what is needed."

The number of families taking part in the review has increased from 84 to 461 in a month, the BBC has learned.

Maternity units run by the trust - which oversees care at Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre - have been rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since 2020.

An inspection found "serious concerns" and that some staff "did not always understand how to keep women and babies safe".

Following a reinspection last month, the CQC issued a warning notice to the trust, highlighting concerns over triage services and increases in stillbirths.

At a meeting with families last week, the review team said 179 families, about half those who had been in touch at the time, had still to be contacted.

The review is expected to be completed on 30 November 2022.

A spokesperson for the review [at NUH] said: "We would like to thank all the families who have come forward so far. Families and partners will be updated shortly."

A spokesperson for the local CCG, NHS England and NHS Improvement [which commissioned the Review at NUH] added: "The ongoing thematic review has a dedicated team who are ensuring that the experience of women and families is heard.

"We will continue to monitor the progress of the review and ensure that any necessary improvements to maternity services are put in place."

Rupert Egginton, acting chief executive at the trust, said: "We are doing everything in our power to ensure patients using our maternity services get the best care."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×