Donna Ockenden: Money to improve maternity care? It’s being spent on compensation

The senior midwife Donna Ockenden is overseeing what she says is the largest review into a single service in the NHS’s history. There are currently 1936 families involved in the independent review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals,1 and that number is going up every week. Many lost their babies as a result of serious and potentially avoidable incidents.2Mothers also died, others were left with lifelong injuries, and some parents are now bringing up severely disabled children with round-the-clock needs.3 One couple—former staff members at the trust—say that they were “batted away” when they sought answers over their daughter’s death4 and told it was “one of those things.” Some parents say they have experienced appalling racism.5 Ockenden’s final report, expected in September 2025, is anticipated to warn of widespread failings at the trust and throw the spotlight on NHS maternity care nationally.No time to careAlthough Ockenden’s review is focused…
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