Ockenden report details neglect of pregnant women at Nottingham maternity unit
6 reported
Donna Ockenden’s report on maternity services at Nottingham University hospitals NHS trust (NUH) found “deep-rooted” and “systemic” poor care, a “toxic” workplace culture, and widespread staff shortages. Women consistently reported feeling dismissed, disempowered, or blamed when they expressed anxiety or reported critical symptoms such as reduced foetal movements, severe pain, hypertension, and postnatal deterioration. The report noted that failures to listen to women’s concerns were even more pronounced for women from Black, Asian, and other ethnic backgrounds, as well as teenage mothers and those from more deprived backgrounds. Nearly half of the senior members of staff at NUH refused to speak to Ockenden’s review. The Guardian columnist Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett wrote that the findings are based on a single source, the Ockenden report, and that cross-referencing was not possible.
What’s reported
The Ockenden report found “deep-rooted” and “systemic” poor care at NUH.
A “toxic” workplace culture and widespread staff shortages were identified.
Women reported being dismissed, disempowered, or blamed for expressing anxiety or reporting symptoms.
Failures to listen were more pronounced for Black, Asian, and other ethnic background women, teenage mothers, and those from deprived backgrounds.
Nearly half of senior NUH staff refused to speak to the review.
The article is a single-source commentary based on the Ockenden report.
Key figures
Donna Ockenden: author of the report on NUH maternity services
Sarah Hawkins: described as a “mad grieving parent” after the death of her daughter Harriet
Gary Andrews: father of Wynter, who died of a lack of oxygen to the brain
Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett: Guardian columnist
Sources: The Guardian
