Nottingham maternity units set to miss investigations deadline

Maternity units in Nottingham are the subject of an ongoing review

Bosses at Nottingham's crisis-hit maternity units are set to miss a deadline for clearing a backlog of incomplete "serious incident" investigations.

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH) has 53 outstanding maternity incidents yet to be investigated.

The trust had said it aimed to complete investigations by December 23.

But director of midwifery Sharon Wallis says they have not progressed as quickly as she had hoped.

"Serious incidents" are unexpected or unintended events that could cause NHS patients harm.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the trust has managed to clear a number of those incidents - but it declared another nine in September and October.

Maternity services at the trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, have been rated 'inadequate' by health watchdogs.

An independent review team, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, is examining dozens of baby deaths at the the trust.

Donna Ockenden previously led an inquiry into the maternity scandal at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust

Ms Wallis told a November board meeting the investigation work was NUH's "absolute focus".

She said: "Our burning platform at the minute is our serious incidents.

"We have 53 serious incidents. Nine have been identified since September and October - this leaves us with 44 in the backlog.

"I am taking personal responsibility on this and we are absolutely driving that forward. It's not where we wanted to be or predicted to be."

Ms Wallis added she now hoped the trust will have 19 or 20 outstanding investigations remaining by the new year.

NUH has lowered the threshold for what is classed as a "serious incident", which has increased the number being declared.

The independent review was set up by the government following a campaign by bereaved families.

More than 700 families and 160 members of staff have shared their experiences since Ms Ockenden's independent review team started work in September.