Latest news with #DonnaOckenden
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Manslaughter probe launched into scandal-hit NHS trust where hundreds of babies died or were injured
A hospital trust at the centre of a maternity scandal is now being investigated for corporate manslaughter, police said today. Dozens of babies died or suffered serious injury at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, both run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust is currently the subject of the largest-ever maternity review, which is being led by independent midwife Donna Ockenden, who is examining more than 2,000 cases of neonatal deaths, stillbirths and harm to mothers and babies. Nottinghamshire Police launched a criminal investigation in September 2023 and on Monday said it had now formally commenced an investigation into corporate manslaughter after reviewing more than 200 'family folders'. It said it was looking at whether the trust had been 'grossly negligent in the management of its activities'. Det Supt Matthew Croome, who is leading the investigation named Operation Perth, said corporate manslaughter 'relates to circumstances where an organisation has been grossly negligent in the management of its activities, which has then led to a person's death'. He said: 'In such an investigation we are looking to see if the overall responsibility lies with the organisation rather than specific individuals and my investigation will look to ascertain if there is evidence that the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has committed this offence. 'In order to deliver a fair, impartial and objective investigation, I have informed the trust of these facts, and this is a decision I've taken based on the progress we have made within Operation Perth so far.' The force said its investigation into deaths and serious injuries related to NUH's maternity care had seen more than 200 family cases referred to it so far and it expected to look at 2,500 in total. Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin due to the 'scale and complexity' he expected it to take a 'considerable length of time' for the force to complete the investigation. The parents of a baby who was stillborn under the care of the trust said the corporate manslaughter investigation 'is just one piece of the jigsaw towards accountability'. Dr Jack and Sarah Hawkins, who both used to work for the trust until their daughter Harriet died in 2016, said: 'Our lives were completely destroyed by the unimaginable and repeated trauma at the hands of NUH. 'This investigation is just one piece of the jigsaw towards accountability. 'A prosecution for corporate manslaughter will only penalise the trust, not the individuals responsible, many of whom are still working today. 'We must never lose sight of individual accountability for those who so cruelly stole not just our daughter's life and voice but many others. 'We will continue to fight for justice, not only for Harriet, but for all those whose lives have shattered.' In a statement, the Nottingham affected families group said the probe was 'welcome' but added that 'no investigation will ever reverse the harm and suffering'. Their statement read: 'Today's announcement is one of mixed emotions. 'We wholeheartedly welcome and support the investigation into corporate manslaughter at NUH. 'It is also tinged with sadness that it has taken so many tragedies for this investigation to have been opened. 'Over many years families have repeatedly raised concerns over maternity safety, only to be ignored and turned away. 'Had our concerns been listened to and acted upon, lives could have been saved. 'No investigation will ever reverse the harm and suffering that thousands of families have endured, but right now families are feeling an immense sense of vindication.' The announcement comes four months after the trust was fined £1.6m for 'avoidable failings' connected to the deaths of three babies in 2021. Earlier this year, it emerged records linked to the scandal were mysteriously deleted. Internal investigations by the trust and the NHS Counter Fraud Authority were unable to determine how the files came to be deleted, leading to The trust said the missing files were later digitally retrieved and passed to the police. Ockenden's final report was due in September this year but is now not expected until June next year. Problems at the trust's maternity department were first highlighted in 2021, with dozens of avoidable deaths since 2010. Midwives at the hospital wrote to the trust's board in 2018 raising concerns about unsafe staffing levels but whistleblowers said a 'Teflon team' of managers failed to take action. Nottinghamshire police has been given Home Office special grant funding for the investigation, which involves more than 70 officers and police staff. Nick Brett, a partner at law firm Brett Wilson, said: 'In light of the ongoing narrative surrounding the safety of the Lucy Letby convictions, it is of interest that the police have chosen to announce that it is investigating Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust for corporate manslaughter. 'This means that this investigation is focused on the management of the trusts maternity services as opposed to individual failings and may suggest concern about systems and supervision. 'A successful prosecution for corporate manslaughter requires proof of a gross breach of relevant duty of care and so the threshold is high.' In a joint statement on Monday, Nick Carver, Chair and Anthony May, Chief Executive at the trust said: 'It is absolutely right that we take organisational accountability where we have failed women, families and babies. 'We are deeply sorry for the pain and suffering caused. We know that for many families this harm and suffering will be lifelong . 'We are fully committed to the ongoing police investigation and the Independent Review of Maternity Services, led by Donna Ockenden.'
Sky News
3 days ago
- Health
- Sky News
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust investigated for potential corporate manslaughter offences
An NHS trust is being investigated for potential corporate manslaughter offences, police say. Nottinghamshire Police said its investigation follows deaths and serious injuries allegedly related to maternity care at the trust. The force launched a criminal investigation in September 2023, after concerns were raised linked to maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust. More than 2,000 experiences of maternity care at the trust are currently being looked at as part of the largest-ever NHS maternity review, led by former senior midwife Donna Ockenden. The trust says it is "fully committed" to both the police investigation and the independent review. The parents of a baby who was stillborn under the trust's care said the fresh investigation was "just one piece of the jigsaw towards accountability". Dr Jack and Sarah Hawkins both worked for the trust, until the death of their daughter Harriet in 2016. They said their lives were "completely destroyed by the unimaginable and repeated trauma". "We will continue to fight for justice, not only for Harriet, but for all those whose lives have shattered," they added. The Nottingham affected families group said in a statement that the investigation was "welcome" but that no probe would "ever reverse the harm and suffering". Detective Superintendent Matthew Croome said the investigation into corporate manslaughter had now "formally commenced". "The offences relates to circumstances where an organisation has been grossly negligent in the management of its activities, which has then led to a person's death," he added. "In such an investigation, we are looking to see if the overall responsibility lies with the organisation rather than specific individuals, and my investigation will look to ascertain if there is evidence that the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has committed this offence." Nick Carver, chair of the trust, and Anthony May, its chief executive, said they were "determined to improve our maternity services". "We know how important the police investigation and independent review are for the affected families, the trust and our local communities," they added. "We hope that affected families receive the answers that they deserve."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Manslaughter case launched into Nottingham baby deaths
A corporate manslaughter investigation has been opened into failings that led to hundreds of babies dying or being injured at maternity units in Nottingham. Nottinghamshire Police said they were examining whether maternity care provided by the Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS trust had been grossly negligent. The trust is at the centre of the largest maternity inquiry in the history of the NHS, with about 2,500 cases of neonatal deaths, stillbirths and injuries to mothers and babies being examined by independent midwife Donna Ockenden. The police investigation will centre on two maternity units overseen by the trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital. In a statement on the force's website, Det Supt Matthew Croome, from the investigation team, said corporate manslaughter was a "serious criminal offence". He said detectives were "looking to see if the overall responsibility lies with the organisation rather than specific individuals". The police's investigation into deaths and serious injuries related to NUH's maternity care - called Operation Perth - has seen more than 200 family cases referred. The force said it expects about 2,500 to be submitted in total. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Ex-MP Theo Clarke says maternity care changes must be made faster
Ex-Conservative MP Theo Clarke has criticised the government for its lack of progress in improving maternity care in England and Clarke has campaigned on the issue since making an emotional speech in the House of Commons in 2023 about her own maternity experience and also chaired an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) that made former MP for Stafford suffered severe blood loss and needed emergency surgery following a 40-hour labour to deliver her daughter, at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in 2022. She has now written a book, detailing her own harrowing experience, in a bid to help other women. Ms Clarke launched the memoir "Breaking The Taboo - Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma" in London on Tuesday evening. She said: "They (the government) appear to have been under the misapprehension that I would disappear when I lost my seat - that is not going to happen". 'Not enough has happened' Ms Clarke was joined at the launch by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, who conducted the independent review into the baby deaths scandal at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (Sath Inquiry) and is currently chairing an inquiry into maternity care in Ockenden, who wrote the foreword for the book, said: "Three years ago the then Secretary of State Sajid Javid agreed to implement my recommendations, but in the intervening years not enough has happened". Earlier this month, it was reported that of the £100m allocated to improve maternity care in the aftermath of the Sath Inquiry, only £2m is ring-fenced this year to be spent on maternity services, In response however, the Department of Health (DoH) said progress was being made."[This is] across a number of the recommendations from the APPG on Birth Trauma, including achieving 5.8% increase in the number of midwives," it said in a added that this week it had announced a rollout of a national NHS training programme to reduce the number of brain injuries during childbirth. After she lost her seat in 2024 General Election, Ms Clarke launched a podcast on the topic of birth trauma and interviewed campaigners and other women who had also experienced traumatic births.A number of women from across the country also feature in her book, including Molly Hunter, a mum of three, who lives in Staffordshire. 'Miscarriage is a lonely process' Ms Hunter has endured a number of missed miscarriages - a pregnancy that has failed, but the body hasn't started the process of miscarriage - and said she wanted to share her story to try and make a difference."My contribution to albeit small, shares a different angle because a lot of the book is focussing on birth trauma and for my second, third, fourth and fifth pregnancies, I had the miscarriages and never got to the stage where I was able to bring my baby home," she said."Theo is breaking the taboo, talking about the issues that so many women suffer from and I think she has done such an important job."I think going through a miscarriage is a very very lonely process."Ms Hunter hoped the book would "highlight the postcode lottery" that determined the care that women received. A survey by Mumsnet in April found that the vast majority of mothers had experienced physical or psychological birth trauma, of which 53% said they were less likely to have more children because of their experience of maternity care. 'The campaign continues' The Tory government agreed to implement the recommendations of Theo's Birth Trauma APPG report last year, however nine days later the general election was called. "In the turmoil that followed, the government let down women, three years on I'm still working, the government must listen," said Ms Ockenden. "We are all born and we are all affected by this." The DoH accepts there is more to be done. "Through our Plan for Change, we are transforming the NHS, training thousands more midwives and have set an explicit target to close the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap," it said. Ms Clarke said: "The campaign is not over and I am very unhappy that they have not adopted all of our recommendations". Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Families to meet regulators over maternity failings
Families concerned about care provided at maternity units in Nottingham are to meet with health watchdogs. Regulators from the General Medical Council (GMC) and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) are planning to talk with parents between 6 and 14 May. The GMC said it had sent a letter to the families involved in the maternity review in Nottingham to hear about their experiences and discuss any concerns. The visit is separate to the review being led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden into the failings at maternity units at the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital. Health secretary considers maternity inquiry calls Apology over delay to maternity report publication Hundreds of new families added to maternity review A GMC spokesperson said: "We have sent a letter to the families involved in the Nottingham maternity inquiry, which we have also sent to Donna Ockenden, asking if she and her team can assist in sharing it more widely. "We have ongoing engagement with a number of affected families, so our letter is particularly aimed at those we have not yet heard from, asking if they would like to attend an in-person meeting with us, so we can hear about their experiences and where they can discuss their concerns relating to the doctors involved in their care." The spokesperson added there will be options available to families who do not wish to attend a meeting in person and there is still time for people to sign up. The Ockenden review, which has been described as the largest investigation ever carried out into maternity failings in NHS history, has examined 2,297 cases of harm to babies and women since it began in September 2002. It is set to publish its findings in June 2026. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. The story behind the largest maternity review in the NHS Scope of review into maternity failings expanded NHS paid out £101m over city's maternity failings Maternity deaths families meet to discuss action Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Ockenden Maternity Review
