Donna Ockenden 'honoured' to review Nottingham maternity services

The senior midwife leading a review into Nottingham's maternity services said she was "absolutely honoured" to be chosen for the role.

Donna Ockenden told the BBC she plans to start speaking to families in July, once her review into maternity services in Shropshire is completed.

The review follows dozens of baby deaths at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).

The trust said it was working hard to make improvements.

Ms Ockenden was approached by families in Nottingham after chairing a review into the deaths of more than 200 babies at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust.

A review was already under way in Nottingham but critics said its remit was too narrow and it was not independent enough.

In May it was announced Ms Ockenden would lead a new review.

Ms Ockenden said: "I was absolutely honoured to be approached by the families to lead the review of maternity services in Nottingham and then deeply honoured to be asked by NHS England to chair this review."

She said she could not start the investigation in Nottingham until she had officially finished her work in Shropshire on 7 July.

"It will seem in these next few weeks that not a lot is happening with Nottingham.

"We will be working on the terms of reference in the background, that will be the framework which guides us as to what we must complete as part of our Nottingham work.

"But I'm sure the families in Nottingham will understand that I do need to complete on my commitments to the families in Shrewsbury," she said.

Ms Ockenden said family voices were at the heart of her previous investigation, something she planned to replicate in Nottingham.

"I want to get across to Nottingham families - they will be listened to," she said.

She planned to start engaging with families in Nottingham in the week commencing 11 July.

She said staff at the hospital Trust would also play a vital role in the review.

Maternity services at NUH have been rated inadequate by the health watchdog.

Ms Ockenden said the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report made "very stark reading".

She said: "There can be no doubt that many, many families have been deeply hurt with life changing injuries and deaths.

"Clearly we need to get to the bottom of what has happened."

She added she had an independent team of midwives, obstetricians and anaesthetists assisting her with the review.

This story is based on Donna Ockenden's interview with Verity Cowley on BBC Radio Nottingham. The full interview is available on BBC Sounds.

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