Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting has urged Parliament to question senior NHS officials who declined to cooperate with the investigation into the Nottingham maternity scandal.
Streeting said those who refused to give evidence during the independent review should explain their actions before the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee. He argued that greater accountability is necessary following one of the largest maternity care failures in NHS history.
Streeting Criticises Lack of Cooperation
The independent review, led by Donna Ockenden, examined maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust after hundreds of families reported avoidable harm involving mothers and babies. read more
Many Senior Staff Declined to Participate
Ockenden’s review contacted 66 current and former senior NUH staff members, but only 35 agreed to be interviewed.
Streeting described the refusal to cooperate as unacceptable. In a letter to Health and Social Care Committee Chair Layla Moran, he called on MPs to summon those who declined to provide evidence and require them to explain their decisions.
He said NHS leaders should be held accountable and argued that any culture preventing transparency must come to an end.
Families Seek Accountability
Families affected by the maternity failures welcomed calls for greater accountability but also stressed the importance of protecting ongoing investigations.
Concerns Over Police Investigation
Jack Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet was stillborn in 2016, said he understood Streeting’s concerns but questioned whether a parliamentary hearing was the best approach while a police investigation continues.
He said any action should avoid interfering with criminal inquiries and repeated his call for a statutory public inquiry with legal powers to compel witnesses to give evidence under oath.
Review Found Serious Failures in Maternity Care
Donna Ockenden’s investigation began in 2022 and included evidence from around 2,500 families and more than 800 current and former NHS staff members.
Hundreds of Babies and Mothers Suffered Harm
The review concluded that better care could have prevented or reduced harm in hundreds of cases. It found that different clinical decisions may have changed the outcomes for 260 babies who died or suffered serious injuries.
Ockenden also said gaps remained in the investigation because some senior managers chose not to participate.
Families Continue to Demand Justice
Several families affected by the scandal believe senior NHS leaders must answer questions about what happened.
Parents Say Accountability Is Essential
Gary and Sarah Andrews, whose daughter Wynter died shortly after birth in 2019, supported calls for greater accountability.
An earlier inquest found that healthcare staff missed several opportunities that might have prevented her death.
The couple said senior leaders should explain their actions and agreed that a statutory public inquiry would provide the strongest route to uncover the full truth while ensuring accountability.Government Plans Stronger Powers for Future Reviews
Following the publication of the Nottingham maternity review, the government announced plans to strengthen the powers of future investigations. know more
New Laws Could Compel Witnesses to Cooperate
Under the proposed measures, current and former NHS employees who refuse to cooperate with future maternity investigations could face legal penalties, including prison sentences of up to two years.
The government said the changes aim to improve transparency, strengthen accountability and prevent a culture in which staff feel unable to raise patient safety concerns.
