A damning independent review has exposed a decade of 'catastrophic' and 'deeply disturbing' failures at Nottingham's maternity units, revealing a culture of cover-ups and a complete lack of compassion that led to the deaths of dozens of babies and life-altering injuries for mothers.
The long-awaited report, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, investigated cases at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) between 2012 and 2022. It uncovered a litany of systemic failures where mothers were blamed for their own losses and staff were 'unable or unwilling' to listen to families.
A Legacy of Avoidable Harm
The findings are stark. The review identified that at least 46 babies and 3 mothers might have survived had they received better care. Dozens more infants suffered permanent brain damage, and others were left with fractured skulls or broken bones due to traumatic deliveries.
Ms. Ockenden's team examined nearly 1,700 cases, making this one of the largest maternity reviews in the history of the NHS. The report paints a picture of a trust where poor care was normalised, and grieving families were met with resistance and denial instead of transparency and support.
Key Failures Identified
- Staffing and Training: Critical shortages of midwives and consultants, coupled with inadequate training, especially for complex situations.
- Culture of Blame: A toxic environment where mothers were often held responsible for poor outcomes, and staff feared speaking up.
- Poor Investigations: Internal reviews were often riddled with inaccuracies and a deliberate effort to avoid admitting fault.
- Failure to Learn: The same mistakes were repeated time and again, with no meaningful changes implemented.
National Implications and Calls for Action
The Nottingham scandal is the latest in a series of maternity failures across the UK, following similar catastrophes in Shropshire and East Kent. The Ockenden report issues a sweeping set of 15 immediate and essential actions and 70 local recommendations for NUH, demanding urgent change.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins addressed the House of Commons, apologising to the families on behalf of the government and the NHS. She has called for a meeting with health leaders across the country to ensure the lessons from Nottingham are learned nationally.
The report concludes that while the trust's leadership has recently begun to make improvements, the scale of change required is immense. For the families affected, the review is a bittersweet validation of their long, painful fight for the truth, but it comes too late to restore what was lost.
