Families affected by what could be the NHS’s biggest maternity scandal wept as the senior midwife at the head of a major inquiry into what happened promised to “do all I can” to make sure no one else suffers the same harm.
Midwifery expert Donna Ockenden, who is leading a review into maternity care failings at the Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, said at a public meeting on Monday that around 1,700 family cases will be examined as part of the complex inquiry.
Some of those families were at the meeting as Ms Ockenden told the audience that behind the numbers are mothers and babies who suffered harm – “often avoidable, life-changing harm made worse by having to fight to be heard”.
Nottinghamshire Police chief constable Kate Meynell was also at the meeting, with trust chief executive Anthony May saying she was planning to meet with Ms Ockenden to discuss any maternity cases that may have been brought to her desk since she joined the force in December 2022, or that of her predecessor.
Ms Ockenden said: “I know there are local families struggling to provide 24-hour care for babies who have been left severely brain damaged.
I know there are families who never brought their babies home, or babies who did come home but died shortly afterwards— Midwifery expert Donna Ockenden
“I have heard from a mother whose baby is so poorly she asks herself regularly, ‘Would it have been better if my baby had passed away?’
“I know there are families who never brought their babies home, or babies who did come home but died shortly afterwards.
“I know there are a little boys and girls out there in Nottinghamshire today without their mummy as we all celebrate the end of the school year.
“I know there are women living with life-changing harm.
“I know this is true because I have met those families.”
Ms Ockenden spoke as Mr May, who inherited the scandal when he came into office last September, said the trust has a “mountain to climb”.
He said: “Since I have been in the trust, I have given a commitment to all the families affected by these tragic events that I will listen to them and I’m grateful to the families who have shared their stories with me.
“It has been a humbling and sometimes shocking privilege to be allowed a glimpse inside their pain and anguish.
“Some of the stories I have heard will undoubtedly stay with me for a very long time but it pales into insignificance to the pain and suffering these families have endured.
“We have to engage with families more consistently and more openly than we have done in the past.
“There is much that we must do now to improve our services.”
The trust initially planned to publicly apologise to the families involved but those affected said the apology will be more “meaningful” if it comes after recommendations from Ms Ockenden’s review are taken into account.
Mr May said the trust is still “fully committed” to saying sorry at an appropriate time.
He said: “It means something to the families and it is better when you can respond on their terms.
“When we mentioned to them we could apologise today at the annual public meeting, they went away and thought about it and came back and said they would prefer it if we could embark on a new relationship with them so that when there is an apology, which we are still fully committed to, it was meaningful to them and takes into account some of the findings of the independent review.
“That’s the journey that we have started and it’s great credit to the families who have been super brave and persistent in bringing their views forward.
“We certainly wouldn’t be here today without their efforts.”
Nick Carver, NUH’s chairman since February 2022, said it has “failed” families and the community in the past.
He said: “To make matters worse, having failed them we have too often worsened things by not responding to them appropriately.
“For too long we have failed to listen to women and families who have been affected by failings in our maternity services.
“This ‘brick wall’ has caused additional pain and this must change.
“Families should not have to fight to get the answers they deserve and we are committed to gaining their trust, and the trust of all our communities, by listening and engaging with them.”
Ms Ockenden told the PA news agency the trust has been “very positive” about her review from the beginning but it has a lot of work to do.
She said: “Anthony May and Nick Carver have been really clear that they want staff to engage in the review and any request I have made of them has been dealt with really swiftly.
“Having said that, the trust has an awful lot to do with their maternity services so this is a marathon – not a sprint to the finish line.
“We have already found issues very specific to Nottingham, very specific to the rich diversity of the population that the trust serves.”
Ms Ockenden urged anyone who has not yet come forward, whether that be affected families or former and current members of trust staff, to take part in the review to do so, saying their concerns will be listened to and support given.
