NOTTINGHAM NHS MATERNITY INQUIRY TO REVEAL "HORRENDOUS" FAILINGS

The inquiry into the largest maternity scandal in NHS history will document widespread failings at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, according to a senior source with knowledge of the findings. The report by Donna Ockenden will be published on Wednesday and examine 2,500 cases involving babies and mothers who died or were injured, or babies who were stillborn, between 1 April 2012 and 31 May 2025. The inquiry has reviewed conduct at Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, including racist behaviour toward mothers by staff. The source stated the findings "will be very bad" and "horrendous", with "pretty challenging stuff" in the document.

Ockenden, a senior midwife and expert in maternity care failings, began the inquiry in May 2022 after families called for a full-scale investigation into the trust's treatment of women during pregnancy and childbirth. The report will exceed 350 pages and represents evidence from approximately 2,505 families—more than in any previous maternity scandal—and around 850 current and former staff members. Nottinghamshire Police's Operation Perth is separately examining care provided to at least 200 families and is considering whether to charge the trust with corporate manslaughter.

The Nottingham Maternity Families Group stated it has confidence in Ockenden's investigation and called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to order a statutory public inquiry into maternity care across England. The group said Ockenden's recommendations must be "implemented in full" and emphasised the need to uncover "unsafe practices, cultural failures and inadequate leadership that have contributed to avoidable maternal and baby deaths, stillbirths and life-changing brain injuries over many years."