More than 1,000 families have now been identified as having cases which could be relevant to the review into Nottingham's maternity services. The inquiry into services at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital was launched after families with experiences of maternity failings demanded it.
Donna Ockenden, who previously uncovered 200 avoidable baby deaths at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, was appointed to head the Nottingham review in May. It officially launched at the start of September. On October 13 Ms Ockenden said more than 700 families had made contact as well as more than 70 former and current hospital workers.
But Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), which is at the centre of the maternity review, now says that more than 1,000 families have now been identified as having cases which could be relevant to the review. The trust says that alongside Ms Ockenden, it has written to all of the families and that letters will be arriving this week with information about how they can contact the review.
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In a statement, NUH said: "We are committed to making the necessary and sustainable improvements to our maternity services and this is why we will continue to do all we can to support the work of the independent review. This includes ensuring that 'family voices' are heard.
"We are also reiterating our support for current and former NUH colleagues who work directly in or closely with our maternity services to speak with the review team if they want to. This is a confidential process and staff can share their experiences of working here.
"We know that this is an unsettling time for women and families using our maternity services right now. If you have any concerns about your care or have further questions, we encourage you to speak to your midwife or consultant."
NUH says that the families with potentially relevant cases have been identified based on the five terms of reference for Ms Ockenden's review. These terms of reference were also used in the Shrewsbury review and cases ranging from stillbirths to major surgical procedures arising from the maternity episode are covered.
The review is expected to last for 18 months. NUH's maternity services at both the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital are currently rated 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission.
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