Proposed Chair of Review into Nottingham Maternity Services Declines the Role Following Uproar from Families

There has been yet another week of developments when it comes to the review into Maternity Services at Queens Medical Centre (QMC) and City Hospital in Nottingham.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Julie Dent, former NHS Trust chair, had declined the role of Chair of the review due to 'personal reasons', and shortly after the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, met with bereaved families from Nottingham to “listen and understand their concerns about the review”. Major concerns centred around its independence and speed. Amid calls once again for a public inquiry into the maternity services at QMC and City Hospital in Nottingham, the scope of the review has widened and is now set to examine cases over a 15 year period, from April 2006 to October 2021. The number of families involved in the review remains on the incline as 544 families have now contacted the investigation into the maternity services at one of the UK's largest maternity units in the country. Families are finally being heard and feel “grateful to Sajid Javid for meeting with [them] and for taking a personal interest in [their] campaign.” They now feel like this is “the first significant step towards ensuring the protection of babies and mothers from death and harm in the future.”  It is hoped that families will continue to be listened to and will be considered when it comes to the selection of the new Chair in due course.As clinical negligence lawyers we represent families and children who have suffered or have lost loved ones as a result of failures in medical care during labour and birth. These claims seek to ensure that any child who has suffered a preventable injury can access the services they require such as care, therapy, aids and equipment, and suitably adapted accommodation which may assist them during their lives. We can also help secure an apology from the Trust responsible and seek to ensure the same mistakes are not made again.If you or a loved one have similar concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free, confidential discussion.

To find recent news relation to this topic: Nottingham maternity review: Proposed chair steps down from role - BBC NewsHealth and Social Care Secretary meets with Nottingham maternity review families - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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.