Leading midwife Donna Ockenden has been appointed as chair of a new review into Nottingham hospitals' inadequate maternity services, after relentless campaigning by bereaved families. In a letter addressed to affected parents on Thursday, May 26, NHS England said it would be "drawing a line" underneath the current review into Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), which runs Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital.
Ms Ockenden, who led the inquiry into maternity failings at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals, will take the helm in a fresh inquiry. In a tweet after her appointment she said she was "delighted" and would be in touch with families "very soon".
The move comes after more than 100 families wrote to Health Secretary Sajid Javid demanding the change, with some meeting the minister earlier this month. He said Ms Ockenden would bring a "wealth of experience" to the new review.
Read more: Reaction as Donna Ockenden appointed to Nottingham maternity review
In the letter, written by David Sloman, chief operating officer at NHS England and NHS Improvement, apologised to families for the "distress caused by the delay". "After careful consideration and in light of the concerns from some families, our own concerns, and those of stakeholders including in the wider NHS that the current Review is not fit for purpose, we have taken the decision to ask the current Review team to conclude all of their work by Friday 10 June," he wrote.
“We have listened to your concerns. I can confirm that Donna Ockenden has agreed to chair the new Review and we will work with her to develop a new Terms of Reference that reflects the need to both drive urgent improvements to local maternity care and the need to deliver actionable recommendations that can be implemented as quickly as possible.”
The group of affected families said the appointment was an "immense sense of relief". In a joint statement they said: "Donna Ockenden’s appointment is a significant step towards restoring confidence in Nottingham maternity services. We are confident that she will conduct a robust review to ensure the scale of failings at NUH are recognised and essential improvements are made.
"Improvements that will protect future babies and mothers from death and harm. Improvements that will ensure women are properly listened to. Improvements that will guarantee staff have the right qualifications, training, and skills. Improvements that will create a new culture of transparency, openness, and willingness to learn from mistakes."
Nottinghamshire county councillor for Arnold South, Michelle Welsh, who sits on the health scrutiny committee, said it was a “watershed moment” for families. She told Nottinghamshire Live: “It’s excellent news. This victory for the families is exactly what the campaign was for and will help get the improvements that are desperately needed.
“It doesn’t stop here. There’s still so much work to do. I’m really looking forward to working with Donna Ockenden and securing safer services. It’s an absolute watershed moment. What it means is families have finally been listened to."
Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South who led a cross-party effort to back the bereaved families, added: "Crucially the new review team will begin its work with the confidence of families. Listening to their experiences is vital to understanding what went so badly wrong and in identifying the changes needed to ensure that mothers and babies get the safe care they need and deserve."
