Nottingham maternity failings: Hundreds of families contact review team

More than 350 families have already contacted a review team which is examining failings at maternity units in two Nottingham hospitals.

The review was opened on 1 September by Donna Ockenden, who previously led an inquiry into the maternity scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised for "unimaginable distress" caused by its failings.

More affected families, as well as staff with concerns, have been asked to come forward.

Ms Ockenden said: "We are really pleased with the large numbers of families and staff that have already come forward in the first week of the review, and we actively encourage others to do the same."

Sarah Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet was stillborn in 2016 after a series of failings, said even parents of healthy babies should contact the review team if they have concerns.

"What I really want to say is there is an extreme, obviously, of different failures," she told BBC Breakfast.

"I mean we had 13 significant different failures but there will be people out there who have healthy babies who did have failures in their care, and we would really, really like those people to come forwards, because they will help save other babies' lives.

"Other families will not have to go through this. Even if it's one thing that they think shouldn't have happened."

The review is expected to take about 18 months, but Ms Ockenden has said she plans to share "learning points" with the trust during that time.

Families had called for an independent inquiry for years.

Ms Ockenden said she had met with some of the families before her review started, and their accounts were "absolutely harrowing".

In addition to Ms Ockenden, who is a midwife, the review team consists of about 60 practising NHS maternity experts from across the country.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust was established in 2006, when the management of the Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) merged.

Figures obtained by the BBC have found that, between 2005-6 and 2020-21, there were a total of 207 claims against the hospitals' maternity services, including 36 for cerebral palsy, 26 for stillbirths and 24 for brain damage.

The total amount awarded in damages for that period was more than £110m.

In December 2020 the trust's maternity services were rated inadequate, with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) finding "several serious concerns".

The trust has said it welcomes the review by Ms Ockenden and her team and will work with them.

Chief nurse Michelle Rhodes said: "We are deeply sorry for the unimaginable distress that has been caused due to failings in our maternity services.

"We know that an apology will never be enough and we owe it to those who have been failed, those we're caring for today and to our staff to deliver a better maternity service for our communities."