A review of the maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) is currently taking place and is being led by senior midwife, Donna Ockenden.
This review was established in light of significant concerns raised regarding the quality and safety of maternity services at NUH and the concerns of local families. It began in September 2022. 1,800 families were contacted at that stage, but that number has since risen.
The review is looking at cases from April 2012 up to three months before the final report is due to be published, which is expected to be in March 2024, in the following categories:
- Stillbirths from 24 weeks gestation.
- Neonatal deaths from 24 weeks gestation that occur up to 28 days of life;
- Neonatal serious incident reports and neonatal “never events”.
- Babies diagnosed with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (Grade 2 & 3) and other significant brain injury
- Maternal death up to 42 days post-partum.
- Severe maternal harm to include cases such as all unexpected admissions to ITU requiring ventilation and major obstetric haemorrhage
Feedback is being provided to families who want it and where the review team believes that better care should have been expected. Cases are being graded on a scale of zero to three, ranging from appropriate care to major concerns with care.
The Trust is being informed of any learning and recommendations as they become apparent during the review. This is to ensure that “rapid action” can be followed to improve maternity care.
Presentation by Donna Ockenden at the Society of Clinical Negligence Lawyers (SCIL) Annual Conference
Members of our Medical Negligence team recently attended the SCIL annual conference, which included an address from Donna Ockenden regarding the current stage of her investigation.
Ms Ockenden stated that the investigation panel is still interviewing families and is holding regular family meetings to provide updates. She spoke powerfully about her commitment to utilise her findings to effect change in maternity services and confirmed that some changes had already been implemented.
Comment
At Nelsons, we are supporting many families whose experiences are included in the review.
Sadly, we see the same mistakes happening time and again to our clients, with families having the heartbreak of losing their babies or having to cope with a severely brain-injured child. Maternity services are unfortunately under unprecedented pressure. We were heartened, however, to hear from Mrs Ockenden, and her commitment to ensure that maternity services become safer both now and in the future.
How can we help?
Julie Hardy is a Partner in our expert Medical Negligence team, which is ranked in Tier One by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500, and Commended in The Times Best Law Firms 2024.
Our experienced team has successfully pursued a large number of maternity negligence claims against Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in recent years. The team is led by highly regarded legal professionals who bring a wealth of experience to the table. This ensures that when you instruct us to pursue a maternity negligence claim, you are placing your trust in some of the legal profession’s most capable hands.
Our lawyers understand that it can be overwhelming thinking about bringing a maternity negligence claim. The expertise of our team ensures that we will give you the specialist advice and support you need through every step of your claim.
Please contact us via our online enquiry form or call 0800 024 1976.
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