It’s been over two years since the independent inquiry into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust started. The inquiry, known as the Ockenden Review, is still continuing and is expected to produce its final report and recommendations in September 2025.

Rachel Kirby, Senior Associate in Geldards’ medical negligence team, takes a look at what progress has been made to date and what we are hearing from the inquiry team and Donna Ockenden herself.

What is the Ockenden Review?

In 2022, Donna Ockenden, a respected senior midwife, was asked to chair an independent maternity services review looking into alleged failings at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust.

The inquiry came about after significant concerns were raised about the quality and safety of maternity services at Nottingham City Hospital and Queens Medical Centre (QMC) University Hospital, which are both run by the Trust. Many of these concerns were raised by local families who had been affected.

Donna Ockenden is leading an independent team of experienced doctors and midwives to review cases of concern at the Trust, including failings in the care of both mothers and babies. Their findings and recommendations for improvement will form what has become known as the ‘Ockenden Report’ or ‘Ockenden Review’, which is scheduled to be published in September 2025.

The Ockenden Review is the largest of its kind in NHS history and is already being tipped to be a disturbing and damning insight into care at the two hospitals.

What is the latest news from the Ockenden Review?

At the time of writing, 1,941 families have joined the review, and the team have held 181 individual family meetings. Over 800 staff from the Trust have also come forward. The inquiry team has confirmed that they will be taking on new cases until May 2025.

Several cases that are being reviewed have come to light in the media, offering a shocking and disturbing insight into the nature of the failings, which go back as far as 2006, including stillbirths, neonatal deaths, brain damage, severe maternal harm and maternal death. Following this information, a police investigation into the cases has also been launched.

A Freedom of Information Act by Nottinghamshire Live reportedly revealed that 302 cases of brain injuries to babies, 582 cases of severe maternal harm and 657 cases of baby and maternal deaths have been identified. The data showed that the highest number of incidents happened in 2013 with 165 reported. A total of 140 incidents were recorded as recently as 2021.

Sarah and Jack Hawkins have been leading the families’ campaign for justice following the death of their daughter Harriet at Nottingham City Hospital in 2016. Harriet was tragically stillborn after a mismanaged labour and a catalogue of serious failings by the hospital. The Trust blamed her death on an infection, but an investigation by the bereaved couple uncovered the truth.

Another high-profile case was that of Sarah Andrews and her baby Wynter. Wynter died at Queens Medical Centre shortly after her birth in 2019 after many failings in her care, as well as the care of her mother Sarah including from pregnancy right up until birth.

According to Donna Ockenden, the review team are repeatedly hearing stories of cover-ups to hide failings, staff shortages and problems with staff training and skill sets.

Unfortunately, even during review, serious allegations are still being made against the Trust, including reports of bullying, discrimination, racism and a continuing cover-up culture.

A recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) also found “insufficient” levels of staffing and rated the Trust’s maternity services as “inadequate”.

Ockenden has said that, while she feels that some lessons are being learnt and improvements are being made, it is at much slower pace than she would like and progress needs to be faster.

In September, the Trust announced that it will launch a new family liaison service to improve its maternity services. It will provide women and families with a single point of access, contact and support after a distressing experience or bereavement during their maternity or neonatal care.

The review continues, having just held its second family meeting in Nottingham, which offered families an update on its progress and access to important support services.

The team are still encouraging families to come forward to share their experiences of maternity care at Nottingham City Hospital and Queens Medical Centre University Hospital to help make the services safer for women and babies in the future.

Further details can be found at www.ockendenmaternityreview.co.uk

If you have been affected by maternity care failings at NUH, or any other NHS hospital or private medical facility in the UK, our experienced and caring medical negligence team may be to help you to get the answers you need and the compensation you are entitled to.

Call us on 02920 391773 or email medicalnegilence@geldards.com