Nottingham review scope 'wider than UK's biggest maternity scandal'

Donna Ockenden said the review had got off to a "fast start"

The midwife leading a review into failings by Nottingham's maternity services said the scope was wider than the UK's biggest maternity scandal.

Donna Ockenden previously led the review at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust that found failings led to the deaths of more than 200 babies.

The terms of reference for the review in Nottingham were set out on Tuesday.

A category of severe maternal harm has been added to include cases that did not lead to a death or injury.

Ms Ockenden said the review, that started earlier this month, had got off to a "fast start".

She said she was pleased with the amount of families and staff members that had already come forward.

Severe maternal harm

Earlier this year Ms Ockenden completed her inquiry into the UK's biggest maternity scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust.

She said the scope of the review in Nottingham was wider because an additional category had been added to the investigation.

It aims to identify cases of severe maternal harm, like an unexpected admission to intensive care or a major obstetric haemorrhage.

Ms Ockenden said: "We felt adding in the category of severe maternal harm would help us to understand women's experiences and help us to learn and help the trust to learn from those cases as well.

"So actually there's been a widening of the scope which our review team felt was important and when we tested it out with some families they felt it was important too.

"Perhaps there's a mum out there saying 'well I'm ok, and my baby's ok, but x,w,z of my maternity experience really worried me or frightened me' then she can send in her experiences."

She said fathers could also send in their experiences.