Maternity Scandal – Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust

A joint investigation by Channel 4 News and The Independent has discovered that dozens of babies have died or been left with brain damage following negligent deliveries at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust maternity units.

Evidence has been found of poor care of mothers and babies, and repeated failures to investigate baby deaths in NUH’s maternity units in the Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital. There is also evidence of poor record keeping and the deaths of babies not being referred to the coroner.

In October 2020, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the trust’s maternity services and “several serious concerns were identified”. The units were given an “inadequate” rating and the trust was served with a “warning notice”.

In May 2021, CQC inspectors returned and found some improvements, but identified some areas to address to ensure it comprehensively manages all risks to people’s safety.

Nottingham Maternity Units Scandal

• Between 2010 to 2020, at least 46 babies have suffered brain damage.
• 19 babies have been stillborn.
• 15 deaths at the units involving mothers and babies.
• Between 2010 and 2020, 201 claims were made against the trust (84 have settled).
• Between 2011 and 2012, there were 6 claims where just under £14.5 million was paid out.
• The trust faced accusations of a “failure or delay to treatment” in 25 incidents.
• On 13 occasions there were accusations of a “failure to recognise complications”.
• 10 inadequate nursing care cases.

Baby Deaths

For several years now, Scala has been providing PR support to families and their legal team at Switalskis Solicitors, working with journalists nationally to help share their stories in an effort to raise awareness and bring about a change for the positive.

Harriet Hawkins

In 2017, Jack and Sarah Hawkins went public on the harrowing experience surrounding the death of their daughter, Harriet, who was born, dead, at Nottingham City Hospital on 17^th April 2016. She was completely normal but died intrapartum as a result of a mismanaged labour. The couple were told that Harriet died because of an “infection” and that they should “try to move on”. Root Cause Analysis Investigation Report (pushed for by Jack and Sarah) into Harriet’s death identified 13 significant care and service delivery problems and concluded that Harriet’s death was “almost certainly preventable”.  

“It was only our medical knowledge that enabled us to challenge the explanation that the hospital gave to us about Harriet’s death” explains Jack Hawkins, a Doctor and former Clinical Director in NHS Improvement. “But how many other parents have just accepted false explanations about why their baby died? Sarah and I have been contacted by other parents with similar experiences but we want to encourage others to get in touch too so that we can share information and provide support.”

Harriet died before taking her first breath, and therefore (under current laws), there was no Inquest into the circumstances surrounding her death. The couple added their voice to a campaign to change the law to allow Coroners to investigate stillbirths, arguing that this would have enabled them to learn the truth about Harriet’s death much sooner, as well as making it more difficult for the Trust to have hidden the truth.

For the past 4 years they have conducted many media interviews to share their experience and shine a spotlight on the maternity services being offered by NUHT. This has helped other families, who have suffered similar experiences to come forward and seek justice for their babies. 

Wynter Sophia Andrews

Gary and Sarah Andrews did just that. Their daughter, Wynter, was the first baby for the couple. Wynter was born at Nottingham City Hospital on the 15^th September 2019 but died shortly after her birth.

Having read about Harriet online, they got in touch with us to seek support and help to understand how and why their daughter died.

In Wynter’s case, there was an Inquest as she had lived for a very short time. At her Inquest (conclusion handed down on 7^th October 2020), HM Assistant Coroner, Ms Bower, made a finding of ‘neglect’ and issued a Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, stating that “Decisions that ought to have involved multidisciplinary professionals, were made unilaterally, and without having considered all of the available patient information. As a result, there were multiple missed opportunities to provide additional monitoring of baby Wynter’s wellbeing, and to have taken action if that monitoring had shown that baby Wynter was in distress. “

In that report she identified her areas of concern as:

1. Lack of robust initial critical analysis of deaths
2. The unsafe culture prevailing within the Midwifery Services
   A) Failure to listen to and respond to staff safety concerns
   B) Failure to promote and facilitate professional challenge
   C) Failure to reach decisions based on individualised patient risk. 

We hope that there will now be a full Inquiry by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care into patient safety at NUT to ensure that the trusts practices are reformed to prevent more babies dying unnecessarily.