Families affected by the largest maternity scandal in NHS history have written to the newly appointed health secretary, James Murray, demanding he meet them in person before a landmark review is published next month. In a letter sent on Thursday, the group of nearly 2,500 families urged Mr Murray to travel to Nottingham and listen to their experiences before the findings of Donna Ockenden’s independent investigation are shared with Parliament and the public on 24 June.
‘Hear directly from those affected’
The families stressed that hearing their stories “must remain at the heart of this process” and that the government has a duty to “fully recognise the scale and seriousness of what has happened in Nottingham”. They pointed out that they have already met regulators, police, MPs and previous health secretaries, including Mr Murray’s predecessor, Wes Streeting, who visited affected families on two occasions before losing his job in the wake of Labour’s local election results.
“We believe it is vital that you hear directly from those affected before the review concludes,” the letter states. “We ask that you come to Nottingham to meet families, listen to our experiences, and understand the reality behind this report before the findings are shared with Parliament and the public.”
Families described how they have “repeatedly relived the worst moments of their lives” in the hope that the inquiry would drive change and prevent further harm. The emotional toll, they said, has been devastating and enduring. “Some parents now visit the graves of their children. Others live with the reality of watching their children suffer daily pain and life-limiting injuries, knowing that one day they too may be standing beside a tiny grave,” the letter continued. “Some of those considered ‘lucky’ enough to have surviving children are themselves living with debilitating, life-changing injuries. These failures do not devastate individuals alone – they destroy entire families.”
Donna Ockenden, the senior midwife leading the review, echoed that sentiment at a meeting with families earlier this month. “Families are not just numbers. Behind every number is hurt, harm, trauma, sometimes babies who have died, and children who have been left brain-damaged,” she said. She added that any improvements must happen in a “meaningful” and “sustained” way, and has confirmed she will remain in post for up to two years after publication to oversee the trust’s progress.
Scope of the Ockenden review
The Ockenden review, established in May 2022 after serious concerns were raised about maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), is examining approximately 2,500 cases spanning more than a decade. It is the largest investigation of its kind in NHS history, covering stillbirths, neonatal deaths, brain injuries to babies, severe maternal harm and maternal deaths. Data released in October 2023 indicated that at least 600 baby deaths – including 228 neonatal deaths and 409 stillbirths – were within the review’s scope, along with hundreds of cases of baby brain injuries and severe harm to mothers. Between 2010 and 2020, at least 46 babies suffered brain damage, 19 were stillborn, and 15 mothers or babies died as a direct result of care failings at NUH.
An interim report published in April 2022 rated the trust’s maternity services as “inadequate”, citing poor leadership, a culture resistant to learning, lack of training, insufficient risk assessment and bullying behaviour. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), which has prosecuted the trust multiple times, rated the service as “inadequate” in October 2020 and issued a warning notice. Subsequent inspections found that “serious problems remain”.
Nottinghamshire Police are also investigating NUH for potential offences of corporate manslaughter, looking at whether the organisation itself bears criminal responsibility for the deaths. The trust has been fined on several occasions: in February 2025 it was fined £1.6 million after pleading guilty to six charges related to the deaths of three babies – Adele O’Sullivan, Kahlani Rawson and Quinn Parker – in 2021. In 2023 it was fined £800,000 for failings in the care of baby Wynter Andrews, who died in 2019.
Government commitment
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the government “remains committed to improving maternity safety”. They added: “The Ockenden review will provide important learnings to help us ensure they are safe and equitable for every family. The voices of those who have been harmed or bereaved will always be central to this work.”
James Murray, who was appointed health secretary on 14 May 2026 after serving as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has been described as a “softly spoken former Treasury minister” and one of the “least divisive figures in government”. He replaced Wes Streeting, who stepped down after the local elections citing a “lack of vision”. The families’ letter warns that without direct engagement from Mr Murray before the report is published, the government risks failing to grasp the depth of the trauma experienced by those affected.