Families of victims, led by Sarah and Jack Hawkins, gathered in Nottingham city centre as the largest maternity review in NHS history laid bare a ‘toxic’ culture that left more than 500 mothers and babies dead or harmed. The inquiry, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, found that leaders at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) knew there were serious issues in its maternity department going back years, but failed to act.
Overall, 520 mothers and babies suffered potentially avoidable harm or death, including 94 babies who were stillborn and 62 neonatal deaths. Babies died from oxygen starvation, mismanaged labour, hospital-acquired infections and poor postnatal care delivered by midwives and doctors. The review, which drew contributions from 2,500 families and more than 800 staff, identified a dismissive attitude to women’s concerns, staff shortages, a toxic bullying culture and racism.
“Over 500 mothers and babies died or were harmed due to systemic failures at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, a major review found.”
Ockenden described the care as ‘deeply shameful’. The report noted one case where a baby was disposed of as clinical waste and another where parents were wrongly advised to terminate a healthy pregnancy.
Health Secretary James Murray issued an apology, saying secondary victims of maternity trauma – such as fathers and partners who witnessed injury or death – may be able to bring their own cases against trusts for psychiatric illness. ‘Fathers, partners and others are actively encouraged to be present to support mothers through labour and delivery, however the law does not allow them to bring their own claims,’ Murray said.
The review did not name individual officials, but the Daily Mail identified some of the trust’s key players during its troubled years. The findings represent the biggest ever maternity care scandal in the NHS, with families and campaigners now demanding systematic change.