Doctors regulator reviewing 62 maternity cases

The organisation that regulates doctors in the UK is reviewing 62 maternity cases in Nottingham hospitals.

The General Medical Council (GMC) confirmed 53 cases are at the "triage stage", which is an initial process to determine whether a formal investigation is needed, while nine cases are at the investigation stage, where a doctor's fitness to practise is examined.

During a meeting of families affected by Nottingham maternity failings on Saturday, Charlie Massey, chief executive of the regulator, said: "What happened to families in Nottingham shouldn't have happened.

"I apologise that the GMC has not acted quickly or communicated clearly enough with families."

"I do recognise the distress this had caused," he added. "It is clear we should have done things differently."

The GMC stressed at the meeting that the priority is to assess any risk to patients in the future and take any necessary steps to protect them.

Following an investigation process into a doctor, the GMC will take a decision on whether the case needs to be progressed to a tribunal hearing.

This can clear a doctor or impose sanctions, including retraining, suspension from the medical register, or striking off a clinician, which would prevent them working as a doctor in the UK.

Kim Errington's son Teddy died at just one day old in 2020 following maternity failings in Nottingham. She is campaigning to improve maternity safety.

She said she remained sceptical that the GMC would ultimately deliver what families affected by maternity failings at hospitals run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) want.

"Through this whole process, we have pushed and pushed for accountability. We have had little glimmers of it from various places, but we want more of a bright shining light of accountability," she added.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council, which regulates nurses and midwives, told the BBC it currently holds 92 fitness to practise cases relating to maternity care at NUH.

Of these, 76 are at the initial assessment stage of the process.

A further 15 are currently undergoing full investigations. One midwife is currently suspended from practice awaiting an adjudication under its fitness to practise proceedings.

Senior midwife Donna Ockenden has confirmed the findings of her review into Nottingham's maternity failings, the biggest in NHS history, which formally began in September 2022, will be published in June 2026.

She told the BBC "it won't be an easy read", but added "comprehensive support" will be available for the families and "I know the trust will do the same for their staff".

There are 2,430 families involved in the review, which translates to 2,505 cases involving injuries and deaths to babies and mothers.

More than 800 current and former staff linked to Nottingham's maternity units have contributed to the review.

Ockenden previously led an investigation into NHS maternity problems in Shrewsbury and Telford.

The forthcoming Nottingham report will contain what she describes as "immediate and essential actions" for change.

Some will be directed at Nottingham's NHS hospitals to implement, others at services across England.

Her report is expected to address the role of regulators over the years in Nottingham and explain why things went wrong in the city with maternity services.

Anthony May, chief executive of NUH, which runs City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, said he regards Ockenden's report as another opportunity for the trust to learn and improve.

He stressed work to make maternity services safer and improve culture remains a "work in progress", adding: "We are doing everything we can to improve and will continue to listen and engage with families.

"We have a deep-seated commitment to want to make things better. Donna's review is another part of that journey.

"It is very important to recognise our staff work very hard day in, day out to provide the best services they can."

"Staff are very anxious about the report. They have worked under protracted scrutiny for a number of years. We are going to support them through it. "

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