Nottingham Maternity Negligence
As specialists in maternity negligence claims, we have dealt with a wide variety of claims caused by the poor maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. These have included City Hospital near Sherwood and Woodthorpe, and Queen’s Medical Centre in Lenton.
Nottingham Maternity Negligence
As has been widely publicised in the press, serious failings have been identified within the maternity services in Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH). As the trust covers the city’s Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital, we understand that this will mean countless families have been affected and will need help.
A pregnancy injury and birth injury can happen before, during or after the delivery of a baby and can result in life-changing outcomes. If you or a loved one has suffered, whether it be an injury to the mother or child during pregnancy or delivery, or there has been a stillbirth or a neonatal death, our empathetic maternity negligence solicitors are here to listen.
To speak with one of our maternity negligence solicitors call 0345 272 5724.
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What is the Nottingham maternity investigation?
The Nottingham maternity scandal hit the headlines in 2020 when serious failings within the maternity departments at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust were discovered.
Between 2010 and 2020, poor care by the trust was found to have resulted in birth injuries, stillbirths and deaths. Since the initial investigation, cases and allegations have reached 1,700, making the Nottingham maternity investigation the largest in the UK. The review centres on maternity units at the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital, both run by the NHS trust.
What is the Ockenden report?
The Nottingham maternity inquiry is being led by Donna Ockenden, a senior midwife who has previously led a review of maternity services at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The Ockenden report is a document which details the findings, conclusions and actions from the independent review at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
Four key pillars were subsequently identified from the Ockenden report 2022:
- Safe staffing levels
- A well-trained workforce
- Learning from incidents
- Listening to families
A similar report is expected to be delivered in relation to maternity services at Nottingham hospitals.
Medical negligence birth injuries at Nottingham
As specialists in maternity negligence claims, we have dealt with a wide variety of claims caused by the poor maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals. These have included City Hospital near Sherwood and Woodthorpe, and Queen’s Medical Centre in Lenton.
In some cases, poor care has resulted in maternity negligence at birth which has led to birth injuries. These can be caused by complications in pregnancy or from problems occurring when the mother goes into labour, or during the delivery of the baby itself.
Whether there are failures with obstetric care, monitoring, treatment or if you think you’ve suffered from medical negligence during your pregnancy, labour or birth, you may be able to claim compensation. Our maternity negligence lawyers have a great deal of knowledge and experience, including making successful claims for:
Birth injury to the mother: including wrongly performed episiotomies, fissures, injuries to organs from caesarean sections, retained swabs, anaesthetic errors such as during an epidural, retained placenta, and errors in managing pre-eclampsia.
Birth injury to the child: including cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, brain injuries, fractures, cuts and scars, and hip dysplasia.
If you’ve suffered because of NHS maternity negligence at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, or any other medical facility in the UK, we could help. Contact us online who will listen with empathy and understanding and help you take your case forward
What our clients say...
“We cannot express our gratitude enough for all your hard work and perseverance over the last few years. As a family we now have closure and can move forward with our lives”
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“We will be forever thankful to you all for the voice you gave our daughter in this injustice”
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“You have been truly amazing – supportive, informative, patient, warm sensitive and empathetic and we’ve always felt that, regardless of the outcome, we couldn’t have had a better legal team behind us. Unlike many other legal professionals I have encountered, you have always been so approachable and understanding and I have felt that you’ve been able to put yourself, as a mum, in our devastating position, which has helped me in our conversations together.“
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National press coverage
ITV News
Our Head of Medical Negligence, East Midlands & North East, Jane Williams, speaks to ITV News Central about the Nottingham maternity investigation.
BBC News
Our Head of Medical Negligence, East Midlands & North East, Jane Williams, speaks to BBC East Midlands about the Nottingham maternity investigation.
BBC Radio Four
BBC Radio Four interviews Jane Williams, about the Nottingham maternity investigation.
Stillbirth cases at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust
Sadly, stillbirth maternity negligence and neonatal death have been widely publicised at Nottingham’s maternity services. We understand this is a traumatic experience for parents, made especially devastating if you believe it could have been avoided.
No amount of financial compensation will ever replace the loss of your child but seeking information about what happened in relation to your baby’s death, by investigating a stillbirth maternity negligence claim, will ensure that lessons are learnt for the future.
Unfortunately, sometimes stillbirths may be unpreventable and beyond anyone’s control. However, there are occasions when more could have been done by medical professionals to save your baby’s life.
The main causes of stillbirth include abnormalities, hypoxia, immaturity, trauma, infection, and poor antenatal screening, but this is not an exhaustive list.
Neonatal death refers to the death of a child in the period after their birth, with causes often similar to those that result in stillbirth.
Our team of specialist maternity negligence solicitors is always available to discuss the circumstances of your potential claim, and the considerations around taking a claim forward.
Get in touch with us on 0345 272 5724 or contact us online >
How can we help you make a claim?
Speaking about your maternity negligence experience can be difficult and we understand it can cause distress. Our team will handle your case with sensitivity and speak to you with empathy at every step. We have a wealth of experience in representing clients who have suffered from maternity negligence.
We will never pressure you to go ahead with a claim if you feel it’s not the right path for you. Our friendly team will answer any questions during your free initial chat before you decide whether to proceed.
If you feel you’re ready to go ahead, the first step is to speak to us by calling 0345 272 5724 or contact us online >
How much will my maternity negligence claim cost?
There are various funding options available when it comes to a maternity negligence claim, but most claims are funded by a conditional fee agreement which is known as “no win no fee”.
This means you only pay for the work we do if we win the claim, and you are awarded compensation. If, for any reason, your claim is unsuccessful, you will not need to pay anything.
Why choose us to help with your maternity negligence claim?
Our team of maternity negligence solicitors is recognised and ranked by The Legal 500 (an independent leading legal directory).
We have also successfully represented many clients in claims involving birth injury and maternity negligence in Nottingham and around the UK.
As part of our work, we instruct experienced independent medical experts to review and comment on your medical records and advise whether the standard of care you received was negligent in causing you injury.
We also work with experienced barristers who we may instruct to collaborate with us in taking your claim forward.
- Our maternity negligence solicitors are known for being sympathetic, considerate and trustworthy
- We have many years’ experience of successfully bringing claims against the poor maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals
- Have three lawyers who are members of the AvMA Panel as well as three Law Society accredited lawyers
- We have a national reputation for providing the highest quality legal advice – take a look at our awards and accreditations for quality customer service and high standards
- We understand each case is different – we take the time to get to know your unique situation and offer individual advice
- We can offer FREE initial telephone advice, a FREE first interview and a home visit if convenient. We also have 13 offices in cities across the UK
Contact our maternity negligence claims experts
If you’re ready to talk about claiming compensation for maternity negligence at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, or indeed at any other hospital, get in touch with us today.
Call us on 0345 272 5724 or contact us online and one of our friendly experts will call you back.
Successful maternity negligence cases
- We have recently concluded a birth injury case where the hospital admitted liability and the claim settled for £25.3 million
- A settlement of £15.8 million was recovered for another client who suffered significant injuries at birth and where the hospital conceded
- We have also successfully settled a claim for a mother who delivered a still born daughter as a result of negligent care during her pregnancy and labour. The claim settled for £175,000
Nottingham maternity negligence FAQs
If you suffered a birth injury or stillbirth at any hospital that was due to maternity negligence, you can make a claim, as long as it’s within three years.
If a birth injury was sustained by your child, you have up until their 18th birthday to make a claim. Alternatively, your child can decide to make a claim themselves when they turn 18. In this situation, they have up until their 21st birthday to make the claim.
Yes. If you suffered due to NHS maternity negligence after the review period in question you can still make a claim, as you would with any other hospital trust. If you’d like to speak about your case and whether you can make a claim, call our team on 0345 272 5724 or contact us online.
Letters were sent out to relevant families affected by maternity negligence at the Nottingham hospitals but those with further queries can email [email protected].
The review is investigating five areas of negligence including:
- Stillbirths
- Neonatal deaths from 24 weeks gestation that occur up to 28 days of life
- Babies diagnosed with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (grades 2 and 3) and other significant hypoxic injury
- Maternal death up to 42 days post-partum
- Severe maternal harm
The review is a separate investigation and has no relation to whether or not families choose to seek compensation. Some families will have received a settlement already and there might be some who choose not to claim for personal reasons.
If you think you’ve been affected by maternity negligence at City Hospital or Queen’s Medical Centre, you can contact our team of expert solicitors on 0345 272 5724 and we’ll discuss your case with you.
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Meet the team
Jane Williams
Partner, Head of Medical Negligence, East Midlands & North East
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