Nottingham maternity review team to be 'bigger than Shropshire'

Donna Ockenden's review will begin in September

A probe into maternity services at an NHS trust will have a bigger team than the one that led a review into the UK's biggest maternity scandal.

Senior midwife Donna Ockenden, who chaired the review into baby deaths in Shropshire, is to lead an inquiry into Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust.

The trust's maternity units are rated inadequate and have seen dozens of baby deaths and injuries.

The review will start in September.

It is set to last about 18 months - depending on the number of families who come forward.

Dozens of babies have died or been injured at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

It comes after the original review into care in Nottingham was scrapped after affected families criticised its remit and independence.

Ms Ockenden's investigation into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) found failures may have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies.

The Shrewsbury inquiry team involved 93 team members from start to finish, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"The greatest unknown at the moment is the number of cases", Ms Ockenden said.

"The similarity with Shrewsbury is that families have had to press so hard to get this independent view.

"For future issues within services, I would hope that would absolutely not be necessary."

Ms Ockenden previously said family voices would be at the heart of the investigation

Latest reports into maternity services in Nottingham stated that units at both of the trust's main sites - the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital - remained "inadequate".

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has also graded the trust overall as "requires improvement".

Ms Ockenden added: "We've added more members to our team so our independent doctors and midwives come from as far afield as Newcastle in the north and Cornwall in the south west.

"It gives us a greater workforce, it means we can be as efficient as possible in terms of the time it takes to complete the review, it brings us a greater depth of experience, and it brings us greater insight into how maternity is on the ground.

"Also, I hope it gives the families greater comfort to know that there is such expertise. It should also give the staff in Nottingham greater confidence as well."

'Very positive'

Ms Ockenden said a new email address - [e-mail] - had now been set up for families to come forward.

She added she had received two letters from bosses at the trust, who have "promised their full co-operation and support of the review, which is very positive".

Director of midwifery at the trust, Sharon Wallis, said: "Our aim is to offer the best maternity care to the families using our services, and to do this we are committed to supporting the review team's work, which alongside the work of our own improvement team will ensure we do everything necessary to learn and improve."

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