When families speak out about unsafe maternity care, they do so from a place of profound loss, trauma, and an urgent desire to protect others.
This week, those voices have again sounded the alarm.
Dr Jack Hawkins—a Nottingham father whose daughter, Harriet, was stillborn in 2016 following failings at Nottingham City Hospital—has publicly criticised the government’s National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, warning that the current “rapid review” is “not fit for purpose”.
As clinical negligence specialists who represent parents affected by maternity failures, we recognise just how deeply distressing it is to relive these experiences. Families who come forward do so with extraordinary courage, and they deserve a process that truly listens, investigates, and delivers meaningful change.
What is the rapid review—and why are families worried?
The investigation, chaired by Baroness Amos, was commissioned to create national recommendations that finally drive improvements in maternity care after years of repeated failures across the NHS.
However, according to Dr Hawkins and the bereaved families’ campaign group Maternity Safety Alliance, the process is falling short:
- The review does not have the powers of a statutory public inquiry.
- Only 14 NHS trusts are being assessed—far fewer than families believe necessary.
- “Family panels” include very few affected parents and feel “tokenistic.”
- Governance concerns include conflicts of interest.
Parents have also been asked to condense their experiences—including years of trauma—into as little as 500 words. Dr Hawkins has described this as neither “appropriate nor fair,” saying it minimises the harm done to families.
For many, these issues raise a critical fear: that the review may repeat the same mistakes as past investigations, which identified problems but did not lead to sustained change.
What the interim findings show
The interim report already paints a deeply troubling picture. Investigators found:
- Hungry mothers left without meals
- Dirty wards
- Poor care and unsafe practices
These findings echo the experiences reported to our clinical negligence team by countless parents nationwide, who describe not being listened to, ignored safety concerns, and dismissive attitudes—all themes documented in earlier reviews across England.
The final report from this rapid review is expected in spring 2026.
How this sits alongside the Nottingham ockenden review
Separately, Nottingham’s two main hospitals—QMC and City Hospital—are already subject to the largest maternity inquiry in NHS history, chaired by Donna Ockenden and examining around 2,500 cases.
Its final report is expected in June 2026.
The fact that Nottingham alone requires such a vast investigation illustrates why families argue that each trust should have its own dedicated review, alongside a full statutory inquiry for England.
What happens next?
Government spokespeople insist the rapid review will lead to faster improvements than a statutory inquiry and will feed into a newly created National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State for Health. The taskforce will be responsible for turning the review’s recommendations into a national action plan.
Families and campaigners, however, remain concerned that speed is being prioritised at the expense of depth, accountability, and lasting reform.
Our view: families deserve a process that matches their courage
As solicitors representing parents in maternity negligence cases, we see every day the devastating consequences of avoidable harm:
- Babies lost
- Children left with lifelong injuries
- Mothers traumatised
- Families forever changed
When parents bravely share their stories, they do so to prevent others from suffering the same pain.
They deserve more than a “rapid” process with limited scope. They deserve a system that truly listens, thoroughly investigates, and holds providers to account.
If you or your family have been affected by poor maternity care—whether at Nottingham, one of the 14 trusts under national review, or elsewhere—our specialist clinical negligence team is here to offer compassionate, expert support.
If you would like to discuss your experience in confidence, please contact our maternity negligence specialists.
We are here to listen. We are here to help. We are here to give you a voice.
How can we help?
Danielle Young is a Partner in our Medical Negligence team, which has been ranked in tier one by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500. She specialises in pregnancy and birth injury claims (including cerebral palsy), brain injury claims, fatal claims, surgical error claims, and cauda equina injury claims.
If you have any questions in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, then please get in touch with Danielle or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester, or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.
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If this article relates to a specific case/cases, please note that the facts of this case/cases are correct at the time of writing.