Shocking failings to be listed in maternity care report

The report of the inquiry into the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history will outline “horrendous” failings in the care provided to women in Nottingham, the Guardian can reveal.

- Denis Campbell, Tobi Thomas

A catalogue of appalling behaviour over many years at the city’s two hospitals - Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City hospital - included racism towards mothers, it will say.

The NHS is bracing itself for the publication on Wednesday of a report by Donna Ockenden into 2,500 cases involving babies and mothers dying or being injured, and babies being stillborn, while under the care of Nottingham University Hospitals trust between 1 April 2012 and 31 May 2025.

“The findings in the Nottingham report will be very bad. It’s going to be horrendous. There will be some pretty challenging stuff in the report,” said a senior source with knowledge of the conclusions. The document will stretch to more than 350 pages.

Ockenden, a senior midwife and expert in maternity care failings, began her inquiry into Nottingham in May 2022. About 2,505 families - more than any other maternity scandal - and about 850 staff and ex-staff of the trust - have given evidence. She was appointed after families demanded a full-scale inquiry into what they said was its poor and dangerous treatment of women in pregnancy, and especially when giving birth.

Nottinghamshire police are still considering whether to charge the trust with corporate manslaughter. They have been examining the care at least 200 families through Operation Perth.

In anticipation of Ockenden’s report, the Nottingham Maternity Families group urged Keir Starmer to order a statutory public inquiry into maternity care across England.