Police launching criminal investigation into Nottingham maternity scandal
The announcement has been welcomed by families affected by the failings
Last updated 16th Feb 2024
Nottinghamshire Police are preparing to launch a criminal investigation into maternity failings at Nottingham hospitals.
Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is already leading the biggest review in NHS history at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which is expected to involve around 1,800 families.
Chief Constable Kate Meynell said in a statement:
“On Wednesday I met with Donna Ockenden to discuss her independent review into maternity cases of potentially significant concern at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) and to build up a clearer picture of the work that is taking place.
“We want to work alongside the review but also ensure that we do not hinder its progress.
“However, I am in a position to say we are preparing to launch a police investigation
“I have appointed the Assistant Chief Constable, Rob Griffin to oversee the preparations and the subsequent investigation.
“We are currently looking at the work being done in Shrewsbury and Telford by West Mercia Police to understand how they conducted their investigation alongside Donna Ockenden’s review and any lessons learnt.
“Now we have met with Donna Ockenden we plan to hold preliminary discussions with some local families in the near future.
“Anthony May, Chief Executive of NUH has committed to fully cooperate with this police investigation."
Families of babies and mothers affected by the review have "welcomed" the force's decision.
In a statement issued on behalf of some of the families affected, they said:
"A large number of us have alleged crimes and we will be sharing our evidence with the police to assist them with their investigations.
"There has been poor maternity care as well as poor investigation of that care at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust over many years.
"We anticipate that we will be meeting with the Chief Constable soon to understand what the police investigation will mean for each and every one of us.
"We hope and believe it will encompass not just the care of individuals who have dead and seriously harmed babies and mothers, but also what families allege is a far-reaching cover-up by NUHT and NHS staff."
The chief executive of NUHT, Anthony May, inherited the scandal when he came in to office last September. In a statement he said:
"From the time of my appointment at NUH, I have expressed my commitment to the Independent Review. I have given the same commitment to the Chief Constable in respect of any police investigation.
"I also reiterate the commitment we made to the families involved at our Annual Public Meeting in July of an honest and transparent relationship with them.
"My colleagues and I work closely with the review team led by Donna Ockenden, to ensure transparent and full engagement.
"This includes meeting regularly with Donna in order to listen and take action on feedback.
"We publish Donna's feedback on our website, and will soon be publishing our response to the feedback we have received so far. The Trust will also now cooperate fully with any police investigation.
“In the meantime, we will continue with our maternity improvement programme, which is driving changes in our maternity services.
"These changes include staffing levels, training, compliance with guidelines, record keeping and the provision and use of equipment.
"Recently, the Care Quality Commission inspected our maternity services and informally reported improvements.
"The detailed formal CQC report will be published on September 13, so the public will be able to judge the impact of our improvement work."