Nottingham University Trust maternity claims

If you or your family were harmed by poor maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, you may be able to make a claim. Our specialist birth injury team will help you understand your options and get the answers you deserve.

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Christian Beadell

Partner and Head of Clinical Negligence

Last Updated

17th July 2026

Can I make a maternity negligence claim against Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust?

You may be able to make a claim if you, your baby, or your family were harmed by poor maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) - including Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre. This can include very sad cases of the death or injury of a baby, brain damage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or harm to mum during pregnancy, labour or postnatal.

Our team is currently representing families who have been contacted as part of the Ockenden Review into maternity services at NUH, as well as those affected by the Nottinghamshire Police criminal investigation known as Operation Perth. If your case falls within the review period – from 1 April 2012 to approximately the end of May 2025 – it is worth speaking to us, even if you are unsure about your experience.

You do not need to wait for either the Ockenden Review or the police investigation to conclude before taking legal advice. We can help you understand whether you have a claim. In most cases you have three years from the date of the incident – or from the date you became aware that negligence may have occurred – to bring a claim forward, but there are important exceptions, for cases involving children.

If you have any doubts about timescales or eligibility, please contact us. We will tell you honestly what your options are.

Example of a maternity negligence claim at Nottingham University Hospitals

Imagine a mother whose labour was poorly managed at one of the affected hospitals, resulting in her baby suffering a serious brain injury due to delayed delivery. If the clinical team failed to act on warning signs in a timely way, and did not follow recognised safety standards, this could form the basis of a valid medical negligence claim against the Trust.

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What compensation can help with

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Securing financial support to help you and your family rebuild.

The compensation available to you will reflect the specific impact of the maternity negligence you experienced – and how it has affected your health, your child’s development, your ability to work, and your family’s daily life. For the most serious cases, including those involving catastrophic injury or the death of a baby, settlements can be substantial and are designed to cover a lifetime of needs.

Compensation can help you and your family access the financial security and practical support you need to move forward – whether that means funding your child’s long-term care, covering your own rehabilitation, or easing the pressures that have built up since the incident.

A successful claim may help fund:

Long-term care and support costs for a child with a serious injury
Rehabilitation, physiotherapy and occupational therapy
Psychological support and counselling for mothers, fathers and siblings
Loss of earnings, including future losses if you’ve had to give up work
Ongoing medical treatment and specialist therapies
Travel and transport costs related to care and recovery

Understanding the potential value

We secured £35,000 in compensation for a client who attended a different hospital for the birth of her child. Sadly, CTG results were misinterpreted and changes in her baby’s readings were not escalated when they should have been. This meant that her baby was stillborn. The settlement covered the costs of her baby’s funeral, and allowed her some financial security after her bereavement. When we value any maternity negligence claim, we consider the severity of the harm caused, the long-term care and support needs involved, and the financial impact on your family. Cases involving serious brain injury, stillbirth or the death of a baby are among the most significant in medical negligence law, and can result in six or seven-figure settlements. Our team has extensive experience securing outcomes that reflect the true, long-term cost of what families have been through.

Understanding interim payments

We understand that waiting for a case to conclude after experiencing negligence at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, can place real financial strain on your family. Where possible, we will look to secure early financial support where it is available. You should not have to wait until the end of your claim to access the help you need. In serious cases, it is often possible to secure interim payments – money paid out before your claim is finally settled – to help cover immediate costs such as specialist care, therapies or adaptations to your home.

Specialist maternity negligence solicitors

Our team leads complex group action and birth injury cases across the UK.

Why choose Fletchers for your Nottingham maternity negligence claim?

At Fletchers, our specialists in clinical negligence and group action claims have the expertise, resources and determination to support you through every stage of this process. Maternity negligence cases - particularly those involving Group Actions like the Nottingham maternity inquiry - require a deep understanding of wider systematic failings. The size, experience and infrastructure of the team around you makes a real difference.

Expertise you can rely on

Dedicated group action team with experience managing large-scale clinical negligence cases
Recognised leaders in birth injury and maternity negligence law
Independently ranked by the Legal 500 as specialists in serious personal injury and clinical negligence
Experience representing families involved in major NHS inquiries and police investigations
Infrastructure and case management capability to support clients through complex, long-running group litigation
Free, no-obligation case assessment to help you understand your options from the start
No win, no fee, so you can pursue your claim without financial risk

You're not alone

We here to help you and your family move forward.

We know that many families affected by these failings are suffering greatly. We hope that the Ockenden Review can bring quick and effective change to the maternity services in Nottingham – although we recognise it is sadly too late for mothers and babies already impacted by poor quality and safety standards at the Trust.

In supporting families like yours, we want to offer guidance and comfort while you navigate the legal process. We know that making a claim can feel daunting, which is why we offer an initial conversation with no obligation to proceed. We know that you’re likely to have a lot of questions about your care – and we aim to answer these to help get some clarity and understanding of your options.

If you’ve been affected by poor maternity care either at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We have a specialist team of birth injury solicitors who understand the challenges you are facing. We know that for many people, the most important thing is not compensation – it’s answers. Families come to us with the desire to have their experience recognised. And they often want to know that steps have been taken to make sure it doesn’t happen to someone else.

That is something we understand, and something we will help you pursue. From your first contact with us, we will listen carefully, explain your options clearly, and make sure you always know what is happening with your case. You do not need to have all the answers before you speak to us – that is what we are here for.

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FAQs about maternity negligence claims at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

What is the Ockenden Review into Nottingham maternity services?

The independent review into maternity care at NUH, led by Donna Ockenden, was commissioned by NHS England in May 2022 following significant concerns raised by local families regarding the quality and safety of maternity services.

The Review officially began on 1 September 2022 after preparatory work, including the development of Terms of Reference (ToR) and early engagement with affected families. Learning and recommendations will be shared with NUH as they emerge to allow rapid action to improve maternity care safety.

The final and only report will be published in September 2025 and presented to NUH, NHS England, and key stakeholders. The Review will consider cases from 1 April 2012 to approximately four months before publication, meaning cases up to the end of May 2025.

Donna Ockenden and her team are actively reaching out to and engaging with affected families including some of our clients. Families requiring additional support will be signposted to trauma-informed care services.

Our expert team continues to monitor the progress of the independent review and is best placed to support our clients in understanding its findings once they are published.

What is Operation Perth?

Alongside the Ockenden Review, Nottinghamshire Police has launched a major criminal investigation, known as ‘Operation Perth,’ into failings at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Nottinghamshire Police announced the investigation in September 2023. Assistant Chief Constable Robert Griffin is leading the criminal probe, which will examine severe harm and deaths linked to maternity care provision at NUH.

Operation Perth officially began in spring 2024, with the recruitment of investigators to support the process.

The investigation will focus on serious and complex cases, including stillbirths, neonatal deaths, brain damage, and harm to mothers.

The police inquiry is expected to run for at least two years.

What will happen if I’m contacted as part of this review

You will receive a letter asking for your agreement to have your experience as part of this review. This will likely be initially a paper review of your medical notes.

There may be a later request to be part of a more detailed review which could include your involvement.

You may wish to seek legal advice at this part if you have not already. A lawyer will then be able to provide you advice in terms of next steps and whether you would be able to make a civil claim for compensation at this stage.

Can I make a civil claim for compensation as well as taking part in the review or police investigation?

Taking part in the Ockenden Review or Operation Perth does not prevent you from making a separate civil claim for compensation. In fact, the two processes are independent of each other. A civil claim can run alongside the inquiry or investigation, and in some cases can be progressed without waiting for either to conclude. We will explain how both processes work and help you decide on the right approach for your situation.

What is a group action claim and how does it work?

A group action – sometimes called a group litigation order (GLO) – allows a number of people with similar claims against the same defendant to have their cases managed together by the courts. This can bring real benefits: shared evidence gathering, greater collective weight, and efficiencies that can help cases progress more quickly.

When you contact us, we will carry out a free case assessment to understand what happened and what you would like to achieve. If you have a valid claim, we will begin an investigation – collecting evidence, identifying who is responsible, and assessing your injuries. We will apply to the court to formally register the group action and, if needed, apply for a Group Litigation Order. We will then negotiate with the defendants on behalf of the group to try to reach a fair settlement, and arrange for compensation to be paid to you once an agreement is reached.

What support will I receive during my claim?

From your first contact with us, our team will keep you informed at every stage of your case. We will explain what is happening, what comes next, and what it means for you. For families involved in the Ockenden Review or Operation Perth, we will also keep you updated on the progress of those processes and help you understand how they may affect your civil claim. Where needed, we can also help you access wider support, including referrals to trauma-informed care services.

How much does it cost to make a claim?

We work on a No Win No Fee basis, which means you can pursue your claim without any upfront financial risk. If your case is unsuccessful, you will not be charged for our work. We will explain the full terms clearly before we begin, so you know exactly where you stand.