Scandal-hit maternity units ‘STILL not up to scratch’ two years after inquiry into baby deaths, damning report finds
MATERNITY units at scandal-hit NHS hospitals are still not up to scratch more than two years after an independent review was launched.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust received a “requires improvement” rating for its mum-and-baby units from Care Quality Commission inspections last summer.
An investigation began in 2022 into deaths and suffering affecting more than 2,000 families who used the trust, making it the largest maternity review in NHS history.
Ministers could escalate it to a public inquiry due to its scale.
The CQC said in a new report that inspections last June and July were still not satisfactory.
It said there were not always enough qualified staff and reporting and learning from mistakes were not consistent.
Director Helen Rawlins said: “We found some improvements had been made although more changes were needed to improve the standard of care women and their babies were receiving.
“There were clear signs that the culture was improving, however some staff felt there was a lack of understanding of individual roles and responsibilities, which led to staff not understanding each other’s challenges.
“Leaders were working to address the negative culture that remained in some areas.
“We’ll continue to monitor the trust.”
Hospitals sued for safety failures
Top midwife Donna Ockenden, who is leading the independent review into failings at the trust, criticised the nine-month delay to the inspection findings.
They mark an improvement from an “inadequate” rating in 2022 but are the same as “requires improvement” received in 2023.
The CQC sued the NHS trust for nearly £1.7million in February after it pleaded guilty to six charges of failing to provide safe care and treatment to three mothers and their babies.
Anthony May, chief executive at Nottingham University Hospitals, said: “The findings detail some of the improvements that we see in the delivery of our services but also underline that we have further to go.
“We are working hard to provide all staff with the best culture and environment to deliver care.
“All breaches of regulation raised during the inspection have been addressed and we have provided the CQC with an action plan to assure them of compliance.
“We know that more must be done to improve the quality of care that women and families receive, but our communities can be assured that we are moving in the right direction.”
ABOUT THE NOTTINGHAM MATERNITY REVIEW
AN INDEPENDENT review of maternity services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust was launched in 2022.
It is being led by top midwife Donna Ockenden, who also investigated failings at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, one of the biggest patient safety scandals in NHS history.
More than 2,000 cases dating back to 2012 are involved in the Nottingham review, which means it could be even worse than Shrewsbury.
Local police are also investigating the services separately from the review.
Families have come forward after hundreds of babies and mums died or were seriously brain damaged or injured while under the care of the Nottingham hospitals.
The review will determine to what extent the deaths and injuries could have been prevented and how shortcomings, errors or negligence by medical and managerial staff at Nottingham City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre may have contributed to families’ suffering.
The review team said: “This Review has been established in light of significant concerns raised regarding the quality and safety of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and concerns of local families.”
Ms Ockenden is expected to report her findings in 2026.