Review into Nottingham maternity failings to become largest in UK

A review into maternity care failings in hospitals in Nottingham will be the largest ever carried out in the UK.

 

Inquiry chair Donna Ockenden, told a meeting earlier this week that 1,700 families’ cases would be examined.

 

Ms Ockenden led the probe into maternity services in Shropshire, which found at least 201 mothers and babies might have survived had they received better care.

 

The review comes following the injuries and deaths of dozens of babies at Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust, and will focus on the maternity units at City Hospital and the Queen’s Medical Centre, run by the trust.

 

Ms Ockenden has called for a “radical review” to ensure “women from all communities” were being contacted by the trust and “felt confident” to come forward.

 

Anthony May, chief executive of the trust, described the meeting as “a very important milestone”.  He added that he had been meeting some of the mothers and described their accounts as “very harrowing”.

 

He said “When I hear those stories it makes me very sad and very determined to improve things in the hospitals.

 

“Today what we want to do is signal that we want a new relationship with the families built on trust and transparency, and try to understand how they can help us improve things in the maternity services.

 

“I would like to say that I think they’re really brave, I think they’re very persistent, and the fact that we’ve got to where we are with the review is largely down to their efforts.”

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s Legal 500 recommended West Yorkshire medical negligence solicitors and birth injury solicitors, have over 20 years of experience and specialist expertise in medical negligence investigations and claims, including cerebral palsy claims and other birth injury claims, supporting injured clients and their families through the legal process and helping them obtain answers, justice and compensation after life-changing events.  We have offices in Huddersfield, Wakefield, Halifax, Leeds, Bradford and Morley and represent clients locally and nationally.

 

If you or a relative have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence lawyers on the freephone number below or e-mail us.

 

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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