Nottinghamshire Live Senior Reporter Joel Moore has been following the stories of families who have lost babies born at Nottingham University Hospitals. Now, as Midwife Donna Ockenden assembles her team and starts her inquiry into the maternity wards at NUH, Joel looks back over what has been a traumatic period for the families involved - and why we all need to pay attention to what happens next.
It feels like a long time ago that I spoke to families as they demanded a full inquiry into Nottingham’s maternity department. In February, the Hawkins, Andrews and O’Sullivan families all demonstrated their distrust in an existing review. They demanded a full inquiry.
But that was nowhere near the start of the fight - Jack and Sarah Hawkins had first whistle blown after their daughter Harriet’s death more than five years ago - and it definitely wasn’t the end.
Families tirelessly campaigned - retelling and reliving their traumatic experiences in the press in a bid to be heard and meeting and writing to then Health Secretary Sajid Javid. All this was set against the backdrop of more tragic findings at baby inquests.
Read more: 'Harrowing stories' heard as Nottingham maternity review led by Donna Ockenden gets underway
In May it was announced that the families would get what they wanted - and deserved - a Donna Ockenden-led inquiry into the services of Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital. It felt like a genuine watershed moment for all the families who poured their heart and soul into what at many points seemed an unwinnable fight.
And whilst the inquiry will hopefully find many families justice, it’s important to note that this review concerns every family in Nottinghamshire. Every family that relies on its local hospital trust to deliver their baby as safely as possible.
Fighting families not only want some form of closure and accountability, they also want assurances that no other parents and babies will fall victim to the same mistakes - that's been at the core of their campaign.
This review therefore is in the interests of everyone in Nottinghamshire. Everyone in the city and county needs to follow this inquiry closely, as its findings will be defining for maternity care in the area - and perhaps beyond.
I also feel the need to point out there is no media agenda against people that work across the maternity wards. Midwives, nurses and other maternity workers have one of the most important jobs on earth.
I cannot even imagine the pressure of ensuring a baby is born safely, especially in the current staffing climate. When things go well it must be magical. But if things go wrong, people face tragedy beyond comprehension.
I think people can accept when genuine mistakes are made - that’s a part of being human. What people refuse to accept is when these same mistakes keep happening, when hospitals fail to learn from errors and prevent them from happening again.
There is no doubt some great work that goes on in Nottingham's maternity departments, but when things go wrong - particularly to the extent that more than 100 families take organised action - it needs to be called out.
Read next:
- Settlement reached after baby suffers injuries during birth at Nottingham hospital
- Donna Ockenden hopes to be in Nottingham 'soon' after 'stark' CQC report
- Nottingham maternity report finds evidence of 'bullying behaviour'
- CQC demands 'widespread and rapid' maternity service improvements at NUH
- Read more health news from across Nottinghamshire
