Announcements

  • Statement from Donna Ockenden 27th January 2023

    ‘The death of Wynter Andrews so soon after her birth in 2019 is a tragedy, the effects of which will remain with her parents Sarah and Gary and her little brother Bowie forever. We are already clear from the inquest held in 2020 that Wynter’s death was an avoidable tragedy; put simply it should not have happened.

    Since Wynter died Sarah, Gary and their family have campaigned tirelessly for improvements to maternity safety and for better bereavement support for families when a child or baby dies. This will be the legacy that Wynter leaves us all. 

    As Chair of the independent review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust my team and I give our wholehearted commitment to support improvements in maternity services at the Trust and across Nottinghamshire.

     Already, in the early days of our independent review we are aware of the pain and anguish suffered by other families like Sarah and Gary.  We promise them that their voices will be heard and their experiences will make a difference. ‘

  • Donna Ockenden urges families to come forward for the Nottingham maternity review

    Donna Ockenden urges families to come forward for the Nottingham maternity review

    The midwife leading a review into Nottingham’s maternity services has urged families and staff to come forward with their experiences. Donna Ockenden was appointed in May to head the inquiry into the services at Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital.

    It was launched after more than 100 families with experiences of maternity failings wrote to former Health Secretary Sajid Javid demanding the action. A much-criticised initial review was subsequently scrapped.

    Ms Ockenden, who uncovered 200 avoidable baby deaths at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust across two decades, said the review is now open to families, NHS workers and others who wish to contribute.

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  • Donna Ockenden: families will be ‘at the heart’ of review into NUH maternity services

    Donna Ockenden: families will be ‘at the heart’ of review into NUH maternity services

    Senior midwife Donna Ockenden says families will be “at the heart” of a new review into Nottingham’s inadequate maternity services.

    Ms Ockenden today visited Nottingham ahead of chairing her own independent review into Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH), where maternity units are rated ‘inadequate’ by inspectors and dozens of babies have died or been injured.

    On July 11 she also met a number of harmed families ahead of reviewing the services provided at both the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital.

    The review will officially start in September 2022 and is expected to last around 18 months – depending on the number of families who come forward.

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