Maternity care should centre on the woman and her family at every stage. The Independent Review of Maternity Services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, led by Donna Ockenden and published on 24 June 2026, examined experiences of around 2,500 families spanning primarily 2012–2025. It identified patterns of substandard care linked to potentially avoidable harm, including for 444 women and 76 babies.
These findings build on the earlier Shrewsbury and Telford review (2022), where similar concerns around listening to women, timely escalation, and record-keeping were raised.
Progress on the previous 22 Immediate and Essential Actions (IEAs) has been limited in some areas, despite national pledges since 2015 to reduce stillbirths, neonatal, and maternal deaths.
Unfortunately, maternal deaths remain at concerning levels in recent data, and stillbirth rates have not consistently met targets.
Key Messages for Families
The report stresses that women’s concerns about their own health or their baby must be listened to, properly recorded, and acted upon promptly.
IEA 1 prioritises women-centred communication and informed choice, including a recommended mandatory field in triage documentation: “Listen to the Woman and consider her preferences.” This directly responds to accounts where women felt dismissed.
Martha’s Rule is highlighted as an important mechanism for seeking urgent additional clinical review. The review also addresses the profound human and financial costs, noting the incalculable impact on families beyond NHS Resolution figures for clinical negligence claims.
The Maternal Care Bundle
NHS England published the Maternal Care Bundle (MCB) in January 2026 as a national framework of minimum best-practice standards. All maternity providers must implement it by March 2027 to reduce mortality, morbidity, and outcome inequalities.
This includes clearer information by 28 weeks on labour, pain relief, and birth options; appropriate postnatal step-down support with enhanced care for at least the first 24 hours; and better access to psychological support after traumatic events.
These steps aim to place women at the centre of decision-making and ensure consistent care across services.
What Families Can Do
Keep notes of concerns, ask questions, and use available feedback routes. Organisations such as the Patients Association offer support.
Mandatory disclaimer
This article is for general information and discussion only. It is not medical or legal advice, nor a substitute for professional advice. To contribute evidence, ideas, or corrections, please email womenshealthproject@outlook.com Please do not share personal data when emailing. Individual cases cannot be reviewed.
This project does not offer any form of legal service and cannot assist with complaints, claims or individual advocacy. This platform is independent and not affiliated with any law firm, regulator, inquiry or clinical body.
© 2026 Women’s Health Inquiry Project (WHIP). This article includes original analysis of material from publicly available national sources. It may not be reproduced without permission.
References:
- Ockenden Independent Review, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (June 2026).
- NHS England, The Maternal Care Bundle (January 2026).
- Public NHS Resolution data on maternity claims. (Links and full source details available on site.)