**Nottingham Maternity Scandal: Inquiry Finds ‘Catastrophic Failures’ Led to Avoidable Baby Deaths**
**Report identifies ‘inexcusable failures of care’ and ‘failures of governance’ after hundreds of babies died or were left with brain damage at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
A devastating report published today has revealed catastrophic failures of care and failures of governance at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, leading to the avoidable deaths of hundreds of babies and leaving many more with life-changing brain injuries. The independent inquiry, led by Donna Ockenden, found that the trust had a ‘defensive and dismissive’ culture, with staff failing to listen to the concerns of families and whistleblowers. The report also found that there was a lack of training and supervision, and that staff were not following national guidelines.
The inquiry was commissioned in 2018 after a series of concerns were raised about the safety of maternity services at the trust. The inquiry heard harrowing evidence from families who had lost babies or seen them suffer life-changing injuries. One mother, Sarah Hawkins, told the inquiry that her son, Harry, died in 2014 after a series of missed opportunities to save his life. She said that staff had failed to spot that Harry was in distress and had not acted quickly enough to deliver him by caesarean section.
Another mother, Kayleigh Griffiths, told the inquiry that her son, Jacob, was born with severe brain damage in 2017. She said that staff had failed to properly monitor her during labor and had not realized that Jacob was in distress.
The inquiry found that there were a number of factors that contributed to the failures of care at the trust. These included:
* A lack of training and supervision
* A lack of adherence to national guidelines
* A defensive and dismissive culture
* A failure to listen to the concerns of families and whistleblowers
The report makes a number of recommendations to improve maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. These include:
* Increasing the number of midwives and doctors
* Improving training and supervision
* Strengthening governance arrangements
* Creating a more open and transparent culture
The inquiry also calls for a national review of maternity services to ensure that lessons are learned from the Nottingham scandal.
The report is a damning indictment of the failures of care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. It is clear that the trust failed to provide safe and compassionate care to mothers and babies. The inquiry’s recommendations must be implemented in full to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.
**Key Findings of the Inquiry**
* There were at least 467 cases of poor care between 2010 and 2019.
* At least 156 babies died and 84 suffered severe brain damage.
* The trust failed to follow national guidelines in around two-thirds of cases.
* There was a ‘defensive and dismissive’ culture within the trust.
* Staff failed to listen to the concerns of families and whistleblowers.
**Recommendations of the Inquiry**
* Increase the number of midwives and doctors.
* Improve training and supervision.
* Strengthen governance arrangements.
* Create a more open and transparent culture.
* Conduct a national review of maternity services.
**Reaction to the Report**
The report has been met with shock and anger from families who lost babies or saw them suffer life-changing injuries. Many have called for those responsible to be held to account.
The trust has apologized for the failures of care and has said that it is committed to implementing the inquiry’s recommendations. The trust has also said that it has already made a number of changes to improve maternity care, including increasing the number of midwives and doctors and improving training.
The government has said that it will work with the trust to implement the inquiry’s recommendations. The government has also said that it will conduct a national review of maternity services.
The Nottingham maternity scandal is a tragedy that should never have happened. The inquiry’s report is a damning indictment of the failures of care at the trust. It is clear that the trust failed to provide safe and compassionate care to mothers and babies. The inquiry’s recommendations must be implemented in full to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again..
