Health Secretary meets families affected by Nottingham Maternity Scandal

Families affected by the Nottingham Maternity Scandal have met with the Health Secretary today - as part of their campaign for accountability.

1\6 families shared their stories of loss or severe harm at the hands of the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust with him and called for immediate action.

Gary and Sarah Andrews' daughter Wynter died 23 minutes after she was born at the Queen's Medical Centre in 2019 - which they later found out, was a result of unsafe care and treatment.

The Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust was fined £800,000 after it admitted it the failings.

Well the couple have since been vocal in campaigning for accountability, having previously called for an external investigation into the role healthcare "regulators have played in the avoidable harm and tragic deaths of our precious children" and their failures to respond to "the maternity crisis here in Nottingham".

Sarah previously said she was "failed in the most cruel way".

Today she brought in a pack of sweets shaped as bears, she told us that she'd laid 17 out in front of the Health Minister, which represented the families in the room. She then handed him a 2.5kg tub of them and said this "represents the families currently in the review."

Gary told us afterwards that Wes gave them the impression something would be done.

Amongst the others there, was Ashley Harper who was harmed at birth while at Nottingham City Hospital in 2023, she said to us this was her first meeting of its kind:

"I came away with hope"

"Hope for the future and that someone's listening, because he was hearing us in that meeting."

Echoing the same was Kim Errington, who's son Teddy died just a day old in 2007. She added that "I have been in countless meetings regarding my situations but this was the first one where I felt it might make a difference."

Well, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said to us the government can try to right the wrongs:

“Today I met with Donna Ockenden and families impacted by the Nottingham University Hospitals maternity scandal, who shared personal and painful accounts of their experiences of dead babies, life-changing injuries, cover-ups, failures in care, and ongoing trauma.

"It is a meeting that will stay with me for the rest of my life."

“While my words can’t do justice to what they - and other families across the country - have suffered, actions from government and the NHS can at least try to put right past wrongs.

“I will do everything in my power to ensure all women and babies receive the safe, personalised and compassionate care they deserve. We are supporting trusts to make rapid improvements, as well as training thousands more midwives, but I know more needs to be done.

“The families raised a wide range of issues, many of which apply nationally, as well as some specific calls for further action. I’m going to reflect carefully on those and return to Nottingham to report back once I’ve fully considered next steps”

Sarah Hawkins - whose baby Harriet died after 41 weeks of pregnancy at Nottingham City Hospital in April 2016 - said it's been a horrific journey but today is positive:

"I feel positive. I feel like we families were heard and listened to and we managed to get our point across. It has been a lot of work to make this meeting successful. We took it very seriously and hope we represented all the harmed families of Nottingham well.

"Harriet should be 9 in April, and as soon as we were told that she was dead inside me, we blew the whistle and we started to say that there are problems and then over the years, sadly, we've gathered a lot more families who have lost their child, who have been harmed, who's, you know, the mother has died. To know that Donna has nearly 2500 people in her review... It's just absolutely horrible."

Sarah mentions there Donna Ockenden, who is Chair of the ongoing Independent Review into Maternity Services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

You can read more about the Independent Review here.

Jack Hawkins, the father of baby Harriet listed for us some of those actions they've called for in the immediate, adding that "if it's not a public inquiry, what is it that's going to improve the really quite appalling care that we offer in Nottingham around maternity, and around the country?

"What is it that's going to make a difference?"

The request from the families today is as follows:

• The implementation of the 22 national recommendations from the Ockenden inquiry, which was fully endorsed in March 2020 by Parliament and hasn't been fully enacted.
• A more visible Care Quality Commission, showing the work they're doing and finding the patients who've been harmed themselves.
• Work to change the law on the duty of candour - which Jack said is "the hospital and its staff being honest about what's happened"
• Ensuring a duty of care to parents when they see their baby having CPR but then dies.
• For Wes Streeting to come again to Nottingham and chat with the families.

Finally Jack added how "maternity services in this country remain a lottery...

"You could go home fine, you could go home with quite significant injuries, or you could go home with a severely harmed mum or baby, or even a dead mum or baby, and it is a lottery and that is not right.

"We are fighting hard for change and today I think we had a conversation which moved that on further."

Anthony May, Chief Executive at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust told us:

“I am grateful to the Secretary of State for finding time to meet the affected families and I know they will appreciate it. Today is a significant step for the families in having their voices heard. I have great respect for the way in which the families have worked to bring their concerns forward. In doing so, I am confident they are influencing improvements in maternity services.

"Currently, we are working with the families on the six commitments we pledged at last year's Annual Public Meeting. I am hopeful, through the development of these commitments, and through Donna Ockenden's Independent Review, that we can rebuild trust and confidence.

"Receiving feedback from the families and Donna is helping to improve maternity services at NUH. Our colleagues are working hard to implement changes. I know our services require further improvement but there are good signs that we are moving in the right direction.”

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