Call for NHS Leaders to Appear Before Parliament Amid Maternity Inquiry Fallout
Force bosses to face MPs over – Former health secretary Wes Streeting has urged MPs to invoke parliamentary authority to compel senior NHS officials to testify about the Nottingham maternity inquiry. The inquiry, which exposed the largest maternity crisis in NHS history, revealed that hundreds of mothers and infants faced preventable harm. Streeting emphasized that those who declined to participate in the review should be summoned before the health and social care select committee.
Donna Ockenden’s investigation into Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust found that 66 senior staff members were contacted, yet only 35 were interviewed. Streeting criticized the “cowardice” of those who avoided giving evidence, calling it an “insult” to the families affected. “Their refusal to share an honest account of what went wrong is unconscionable,” he stated in a letter to committee chair Layla Moran, which the BBC obtained.
Nottingham Maternity Report Summary
The review, which began in 2022, gathered input from around 2,500 families and over 800 current and former NUH staff. However, Ockenden noted “gaps” in the findings due to senior managers not participating. Trust chief executive Anthony May defended the involvement of current executives, but whistleblower Jack Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet died stillborn in April 2016, expressed doubts.
“Having heard parents describe their devastating experiences, I find it unacceptable that NHS leaders would withhold key details,” Streeting said.
Hawkins, a consultant doctor at the trust, acknowledged Streeting’s intentions but questioned whether Parliament was the right place for further questioning. “I understand the sentiment, but I wonder if this is the most appropriate forum,” he remarked.
Ockenden’s report highlighted systemic failures, including a “cover-up culture” that hindered accountability. Harriet’s father, Jack Hawkins, warned that holding NHS leaders accountable in Parliament could complicate the police investigation into the trust’s maternity mishaps. “If your actions disrupt the police inquiry, you’ll face the full anger of Nottingham families,” he told the BBC.
“Your heart is in the right place, but without involving us in your plans, it’s hard to see why you’re pushing for this now,” Jack Hawkins added.
The report also suggested that different care approaches might have saved 260 babies or prevented harm. With over 800 staff and 2,500 families contributing, the inquiry aims to uncover why so many lives were impacted. Jack continues to advocate for a statutory public inquiry, stressing the need for legal scrutiny to ensure transparency.
