Families affected by maternity care failures at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust are continuing to seek accountability following a series of investigations into the trust’s maternity services. A recent review led by Donna Ockenden, examining thousands of cases, identified systemic shortcomings at NUH that resulted in injury, disability, and death among mothers and babies.
Mollie Sutton is among the many families demanding answers. Her son Rupert, born in October 2018, suffers from severe disabilities and has the mental capacity of a four-month-old infant. Ms. Sutton, who was 19 at the time, endured a difficult labour during which she says her requests for pain relief were dismissed. She alleges that medical staff minimized her symptoms and ignored signs of distress, possibly contributing to Rupert’s condition. Ms. Sutton was diagnosed with sepsis at 34 weeks pregnant and induced at 37 weeks; she was later re-admitted with a group B strep infection, which she believes may have played a role in her son’s disabilities, though Rupert was never tested for it. She awaits individual reports from both NUH and an independent inquiry to clarify whether the care she received was a factor in Rupert’s outcome.
The Ockenden review found that more than 500 mothers and babies were harmed or died due to failures described as “deeply embedded” within the trust’s systems. Families like the Suttons have called for urgent reforms, pointing to ongoing concerns about regulatory oversight. Ms. Sutton criticized government bodies and professional regulators, including the Care Quality Commission (CQC), General Medical Council (GMC), and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), for reportedly being aware of the problems yet failing to intervene. She has called for a judge-led inquiry to ensure full transparency and accountability.
Other families sharing their experiences include Jack and Sarah Hawkins, both former NUH employees. Their daughter Harriet was stillborn in 2016 after a prolonged six-day labour marked by repeated contacts with the hospital and inadequate monitoring of fetal wellbeing. Initially told her daughter died due to infection without fault on the trust’s part, the couple later uncovered an independent review highlighting 13 significant care failings. NUH settled a negligence claim with the Hawkins family in 2021 for £2.8 million. Jack Hawkins emphasized the need for a statutory public inquiry, expressing frustration over how such failures persisted “in plain sight” despite oversight from NHS leadership and government departments.
Similarly, Gary and Sarah Andrews lost their daughter Wynter Sophia Andrews in 2019, just 23 minutes after birth. Sarah Andrews experienced a four-day labour during which medical staff reportedly misclassified her stage of labour and ignored concerning monitoring results. An inquest described Wynter’s death as a “clear and obvious case of neglect” caused by oxygen deprivation, with the trust later fined £800,000 over the incident.
The cases reflect broader concerns about maternity care standards at NUH, with families urging for both systemic change and individual accountability. The trust has been contacted for comment but has yet to issue a public response. Meanwhile, investigations continue, aiming to deliver clarity and prevent further harm in maternity services.