Nottingham maternity deaths: Police announce criminal inquiry

Donna Ockenden's review followed a long-running campaign by bereaved families

A police investigation is to be launched into failings that led to dozens of baby deaths and injuries at a hospital trust.

The maternity units at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust are already being examined in a review by senior midwife Donna Ockenden.

The review will become the largest ever carried out in the UK, with about 1,800 families affected.

The trust's chief executive said he was committed to co-operating.

Nottinghamshire Police said its decision to investigate followed discussions with Ms Ockenden.

Her team is looking into failings that led to babies dying or being injured at Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre.

A review into failings in maternity care at hospitals in Nottingham is ongoing

Chief Constable Kate Meynell said: "On Wednesday I met with Donna Ockenden to discuss her independent review into maternity cases of potentially significant concern at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) and to build up a clearer picture of the work that is taking place.

"We want to work alongside the review but also ensure that we do not hinder its progress.

"However, I am in a position to say we are preparing to launch a police investigation.

"I have appointed the Assistant Chief Constable, Rob Griffin, to oversee the preparations and the subsequent investigation."

Donna Ockenden has held discussions with Nottinghamshire Police's chief constable

The announcement follows an investigation by West Mercia Police, launched in June 2020, into maternity practices at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust.

An independent investigation there, also conducted by Ms Ockenden, found that 201 babies and nine mothers could have survived with better maternity care over a 20-year period.

"We are currently looking at the work being done in Shrewsbury and Telford by West Mercia Police to understand how they conducted their investigation alongside Donna Ockenden's review and any lessons learnt," said Ms Meynell.

"Now we have met with Donna Ockenden we plan to hold preliminary discussions with some local families in the near future."

Ms Ockenden's review was prompted by a long-running campaign by bereaved parents.

Her team is examining the cases of 1,800 families, with about 700 current and former trust staff making contact.

Ms Ockenden said she welcomed the decision to investigate.

"As the review chair, my team and I are absolutely committed to working with the police," she said in a social media post.

"I am grateful to the chief constable for her assurance that the police investigation will not delay the progress of our work."

Jack and Sarah Hawkins said they expected to speak to the chief constable soon

A statement issued on behalf of the campaigning parents said: "We welcome the long-awaited news of this police investigation and we are very grateful to the Chief Constable Kate Meynell for her decision.

"There will be a wealth of information from victim families for her team to use.

"A large number of us have alleged crimes and we will be sharing our evidence with the police to assist them with their investigations.

"There has been poor maternity care as well as poor investigation of that care at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust over many years."

Jack and Sarah Hawkins, whose baby Harriet died in 2016, said they asked the trust to notify the police of her death at the time.

They told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "This conversation has been repeated multiple times with senior people at NUH and with the local NHS over the years.

"We anticipate that we will be meeting with the chief constable soon to understand what the police investigation will mean for each and every one of us."

Law firm Irwin Mitchell is representing some of the families concerned about the care they received.

Medical negligence lawyer Julianne Moore said: "Understandably the families we represent have a number of concerns about what happened not only to them but others.

"They welcome the police's intention to investigate. We're continuing to support families we represent at this emotional time so they can also access the specialist support and in some cases, life-long care they require."

Analysis

By Michael Buchanan, BBC News social affairs correspondent

Having pushed for years for a truly independent review to reveal the scale of harm at the trust, families are now also looking for accountability.

This announcement raises the possibility that individuals could face criminal charges, or appear in court, but it will be a sensitive and complex investigation.

West Mercia Police has been undertaking a similar inquiry into the failures at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. That investigation has been under way for more than three years and no charges have yet been brought.

The fact the police are going to investigate clinicians' actions provides the families in Nottingham with more opportunity to understand why people acted as they did.

This, they hope, could lead to maternity services across the NHS significantly improving under fear of criminal prosecution if they repeatedly provide poor care.

Mr May said the trust was holding regular meetings with Ms Ockenden

The hospital trust's chief executive Anthony May said: "From the time of my appointment at NUH, I have expressed my commitment to the independent review.

"I have given the same commitment to the chief constable in respect of any police investigation.

"I also reiterate the commitment we made to the families involved at our annual public meeting in July of an honest and transparent relationship with them."

Mr May, who came in to office last September, added the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was due to publish an inspection report for the trust's maternity services on 13 September.

Maternity units at the City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre have been rated inadequate by the watchdog since 2020.

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