Parents welcome probe into Nottingham baby deaths

Sarah and Gary Andrews daughter Wynter died 23 minutes after being born while under the care of Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust in 2019

Parents whose babies died under the care of maternity units in Nottingham have welcomed a corporate manslaughter investigation into an NHS trust but say it is just a "piece of the jigsaw".

Nottinghamshire Police confirmed the inquiry on Monday into Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust - at the centre of the largest maternity inquiry in NHS history - after failings led to hundreds of babies dying or being injured.

The mum and dad of Wynter Andrews, who died 23 minutes after being born in 2019 and of Harriet Hawkins, who was stillborn in 2016, welcomed the development, adding it look a "long time" to reach.

NUH said it hoped "affected families receive the answers that they deserve".

Wynter's father, Gary Andrews, told the BBC: "We've known for some time that what happened to us and our daughter Wynter shouldn't have happened, but to be explored at a criminal level - that is pretty worrying.

"But we're glad the police are taking action."

Jack and Sarah Hawkins have continued to campaign for accountability in the maternity failings at the trust

NUH was fined £800,000 in 2023 after admitting failings in Wynter's care in a criminal prosecution brought by healthcare regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The court heard how a "catalogue of failings" exposed Wynter and her mum Sarah Andrews to a "significant risk of harm".

Wynter died from a loss of oxygen flow to her brain which could have been prevented had staff delivered her earlier.

Mr and Mrs Andrews - who have previously been critical of regulators like the CQC - added that they hoped the watchdog would acknowledge the seriousness of the police inquiry and "act earlier" within their own capacity in future.

A spokesperson for the CQC said it had "repeatedly held the trust to account" and continued to monitor the service closely.

They said: "We have been clear with the trust where standards of care have fallen short and clear where action must be taken to ensure a safer service."

"The findings from CQC's latest inspection of the trust's maternity services was published in March.

"We continue to monitor the service closely and can inspect at any time should we have concerns that people may be at risk."

'Element of justice'

Mrs Wynter added: "There have been so many families harmed and so many babies have died - and for us it's nice to know the police are now going to be investigating."

But the Andrews and others, including Sarah and Jack Hawkins - the parents of Harriet Hawkins - believe there should be even further accountability.

They have long maintained "individuals need to be held to account".

Harriet was delivered nine hours after dying at Nottingham City Hospital in April 2016 and an external review of the case concluded the death was "almost certainly preventable".

"We think the investigation is great and it's really positive but it's just one piece of the jigsaw," Ms Hawkins said.

However she added there was an "element of justice just getting this investigation".

Mr Hawkins called the police inquiry a "huge development", adding: "Can you imagine another industry or business or school or road where there was so much death and harm from proven negligence and neglect in coroners court where it was just allowed to continue?"

The police investigation will centre on two maternity units overseen by the trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital

In a statement released by police on Monday, Det Supt Matthew Croome, from the investigation team, said: "The offence relates to circumstances where an organisation has been grossly negligent in the management of its activities, which has then led to a person's death.

"In such an investigation we are looking to see if the overall responsibility lies with the organisation rather than specific individuals and my investigation will look to ascertain if there is evidence that the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has committed this offence."

It comes months after the trust was fined £1.6m in a second CQC prosecution for maternity failings in connection with the deaths of three babies in 2021.

A joint statement from the hospital trust's chair Nick Carver and its chief executive Anthony May said: "We are fully committed to the ongoing police investigation and the Independent Review of Maternity Services, led by Donna Ockenden.

"We would like to reassure the public that we are determined to improve our maternity services.

"We know how important the police investigation and independent review are for the affected families, the trust and our local communities. We hope that affected families receive the answers that they deserve."