Nottingham University Hospital Trust

Fletchers Solicitors welcomes the independent inquiry into the quality and safety of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), and the police investigation into maternity cases.

Our dedicated medical law experts are representing families who have been asked to take part in the review, which will look into the deaths of several babies and the harming of babies and mothers at the Trust’s three sites – including Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen’s Medical Centre.

We are dedicated to supporting our clients throughout this process, providing advice and guidance on the scope of the investigation, and helping them to secure the answers they deserve.

If you have suffered because of poor maternity care from the Trust, our team are here to help.

We offer a free, no obligation consultation, so if you have any questions or just want to understand how we may be able to help please do get in touch.

Why is this inquiry taking place?

In May 2022 Senior Midwife Donna Ockenden was appointed to Chair an independent review of maternity services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).

This was after significant concerns were raised regarding the quality and safety of maternity services at the Trust, which has been consistently failing in achieving the set targets to improve patient outcomes.

The inquiry is expected to involve around 1,800 families, including families from Lincoln and Derbyshire, and will involve experienced doctors and midwives working in maternity services right across England.

In recent years concerns relating to the maternity services provided to mothers and babies by the NHS has come under considerable scrutiny, with many mothers experiencing devastating outcomes leading to birth injuries and, in some cases, even pre and neonatal deaths.

The investigation into NUH follows a similar review of review of maternity services in the NHS focussing on Hospitals in Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS trust, which was also chaired by Donna Ockenden. This has now been completed and a report has been published.

Why are the police involved?

In September 2023 Nottinghamshire Police announced that it was preparing to launch an investigation into maternity cases at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUHT) that are of ‘potentially significant concern’.

Further information is yet to be published, but we do know that the investigation as launched after a meeting with Donna Ockenden, during which her independent review into services in the city was discussed.

At Fletchers Solicitors, we are monitoring the progress of both the independent review and the police investigation so that we can support our clients and help them understand the findings as and when they are published.

How can our legal team help you?

We welcome this review and hope that there can be quick and effective change to the maternity services in Nottingham. Sadly, this is too late for some mothers affected by poor quality and safety standards at the Trust. We are supporting some families who have been asked to be part of this review and had have experienced devasting outcomes at NUH.

Our aim is to ensure that families are supported through the process, which we know can feel daunting.

We offer a free consultation, so if you have been affected by poor maternity care either in Nottingham, or elsewhere in the country, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We have a specialist team of birth injury solicitors who are able to help you navigate the legal process and beyond.

We understand that compensation is not always the main objective of taking legal action but making a civil claim can help get the answers you need and also access to support for you and your family.

One of the questions which we get from people looking for our help is how is this going to be funded. We know that this can be an uncertain time which is why we offer a No Win, No Fee arrangement. This means that there’s no upfront payment and no financial risk to you.

Christian Beadell who heads up the team helping former patients at the Trust commented: “Whilst we do welcome this investigation it is deeply troubling to see that there are so many families whose lives have been potentially impacted by poor care at the Trust.

“What is equalling concerning is a review of the services available at Nottingham City Hospital which shows that as recently as July 2023, the maternity department continues to fail to meet its target despite the emphasis of the inquiry on making significant and immediate improvements amidst growing concerns mothers and babies were not safe.

“Urgent action is needed to ensure that lessons are learnt and that the issues which have been identified are dealt with to prevent others suffering as our clients have.”