Health Secretary agrees to meet bereaved families in Nottingham to discuss maternity review

Families involved in the review of Nottingham's maternity services are unhappy about the appointment of their newly announced leader, Julie Dent, and call for her to reject the appointment.

The appointment has come about without any prior consultation with the families involved, which has left them “feeling severely let down, confused and further traumatised.” Those involved have highlighted that they are simply seeking a truly independent review, which even the Health Secretary agrees must result in “real and impactful intervention.” The review into the Nottingham maternity services has faced criticism from the outset. With now over 461 families involved, the bereaved families are clear in their view that the only way for evidenced improvement to be made is for Donna Ockenden, who recently published her review into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust, to be appointed as chair. As it stands, they remain unhappy with the current appointment. Jane Williams, Partner at Nottingham when speaking to East Midlands today said: “The key issue for our client's and I'm sure many other families affected is what changes as a result of appointing a new chair. It's vitally important that there is not only trust in the process but independence.” The families involved now await further information as to the outcome of their complaints, with a spokesperson for NHS England stating that "the next steps of the review including engagement with families will be set out shortly." The review is scheduled to publish its findings in November this year. Please see this BBC News article: 'Families call for Nottingham maternity review chair rejection'.

If you or a loved one have similar concerns, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our national team for a free, confidential discussion. Please see our designated claims against maternity services page for more information.