'Eye off the ball': Nottingham Hospitals maternity review chair criticises former Tory Government

Midwife Donna Ockenden, who is running the review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH), says she is disappointed her essential actions from a previous Shrewsbury inquiry have still not been put in place.

Ms Ockenden led an inquiry into the services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH), and made numerous recommendations upon its conclusion in 2022.

Then Health Secretary Sajid Javid (Con) had endorsed the findings and pledged to put in place her recommendations quickly.

However a period of instability afterwards, during which the position changed hands four times, meant the Government ‘took their eye off the ball’, Ms Ockenden said.

She continued: “When we published the Shrewsbury report at the end of March 2022, I was really grateful for the support of Sajid Javid.

“He was the then Health Secretary and he fully endorsed all of our findings and gave a commitment that they would be put in place swiftly.

“Unfortunately, we then saw a number Health Secretaries after him and, to use a football metaphor, the Government definitely took their eye off the ball as regards to maternity services.

“So very, very disappointing.”

During a visit to Nottinghamshire in March, former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had said: “More generally what we have done is to invest around £150m extra in strengthening maternity services across the country because it is incredibly important.

“We have had incidences in different areas where services have not been at the standard that any of us would expect or that people deserve.

“I’m sure the health trust here will take on board all the recommendations of the report and make sure patients get the care they need.”

Ms Ockenden went on to say she was ‘heartened’ to see Labour’s leader and now Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, in the East Midlands on numerous occasions, alongside now Health Secretary Wes Streeting, in the run up to the election.

During their visits Mr Streeting pledged to be guided by Ms Ockenden’s review.

Speaking back in April, he said: “I trust her, I trust her advice.

“Labour has already committed, as part of the biggest expansion of NHS staff in history, to train up more midwives which is part of the problem – but a lot of these other issues about culture, about listening to whistle-blowers, listening to parents particularly new mums, there are lots of lessons to be learned.”

Ms Ockenden added her essential actions from the Shrewsbury report remain relevant and ready to be implemented.

“That March 2022 report, which is now more than two years old, I still believe stands as a strong blueprint and a way forward for maternity services and I am pleased to hear that Mr Streeting, prior to being appointed Health Secretary, in the election campaign gave an absolute commitment to rapid progress on that.

“I’m willing to assist in any way that I can.”