On 10 February 2025, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court, where it pleaded guilty to six offences related to failures in its maternity care, which led to the tragic deaths of three babies. The infants (Adele O’Sullivan, Kahlani Rawson, and Quinn Parker) all died within a 14-week period in 2021 while under the care of NUH. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) brought charges against the trust for failing to provide safe care and treatment, marking another distressing chapter in the ongoing concerns about maternity services at the trust.
Two days later, on 12 February 2025, NUH was fined £1.6 million for its failings. This penalty was significantly reduced from an initial £5.5 million due to the trust’s guilty pleas and its financial circumstances. However, the ruling has reignited concerns about the state of maternity care within the trust, as well as broader issues of accountability and patient safety within the NHS.
Has Nottingham University Hospitals Trust faced legal action before for maternity care?
This is not the first time that NUH has faced legal action over its maternity services.
In 2023, the trust was fined £800,000 following its admission of failings in the case of Wynter Andrews, a baby who died just 23 minutes after birth in 2019. The case highlighted serious deficiencies in care, with an inquest concluding that Wynter’s death was a result of neglect. Her parents have since been vocal advocates for maternity care reforms, calling for urgent improvements to prevent further tragedies.
How does this link to the Ockenden review?
Beyond these court cases, NUH is also at the centre of a large-scale independent maternity review chaired by Donna Ockenden. The review was launched in response to widespread allegations of failings in maternity care at both Nottingham City Hospital and Queen’s Medical Centre. It is one of the largest maternity investigations in UK history, with over 1,700 families reportedly having come forward with concerns about their experiences. The review aims to establish the extent of poor care and make recommendations to improve patient safety.
Concerns about maternity services at NUH have been ongoing for several years. Reports of staff shortages, inadequate training, and failures to properly investigate previous incidents have contributed to a loss of trust among patients and the wider public. The CQC has previously rated the trust’s maternity services as inadequate, with inspections revealing critical issues including poor risk assessments, lack of adequate monitoring of foetal health, and a failure to learn from past mistakes.
For families affected by maternity failings, the latest fine will bring mixed emotions. While it represents formal recognition of the trust’s failures, a fine is not compensation for a lost child, and does nothing to improve safety for those patients who are, and will be, treated by the NUH. Campaigners and bereaved families continue to call for systemic changes within NUH and across the NHS to ensure safer maternity services.
How can the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust improve?
Moving forward, all eyes will be on the Ockenden review’s findings and recommendations. The trust has stated that it is committed to improving its maternity services, but critics argue that meaningful change has been slow. Families affected by previous failings continue to push for justice, transparency, and a complete overhaul of how maternity care is delivered at NUH.
The NUH case is part of a wider issue concerning maternity safety across the NHS. Other hospital trusts, such as Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, have also faced damning reports into maternity failings. These cases underscore the urgent need for a national strategy to improve maternity safety and ensure that lessons from past tragedies lead to lasting improvements in care.