Notts maternity review families called ‘compo seekers’ by trust staff
Families in the largest NHS maternity review assessing harm and deaths of mothers and babies have been accused of being involved simply to get compensation from a hospital trust.
Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH), which runs the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital, is currently at the centre of the largest maternity enquiry in NHS history to uncover maternity healthcare failings.
Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is leading the probe into deaths and injuries of mothers and babies at these two hospitals, dating back to 2012.
The inquiry now involves 2,425 families after beginning the process in 2022 – the review closed to accepting other cases on May 31, 2025.
The review’s findings were originally intended to be published in September 2025, but an extra 300 families were added to the inquiry earlier this year after an error between the hospitals and review team, pushing the date back to June 2026.
NUH held its Annual Public Meeting on Wednesday, September 3, which involved giving a public update to the ongoing review, with impacted families being present.
During the meeting, NUH Chief Executive Anthony May referenced incidents, fed back to him by families, that families had been “stigmatised” and “criticised” for participating in the review or for campaigning for better services.
He said: “Families have heard that they’re criticised for being in the review and that they’re in the review on the basis that they are seeking compensation.”
Sarah and Jack Hawkins are part of the inquiry and are parents of baby Harriet who was stillborn at City Hospital in 2016 – Jack Hawkins told the local democracy reporting service following the meeting families have reportedly been called “compo seekers” for their involvement in the review.
He added: “And there has been a comment made that people are in this [review] group because they have been groomed by Sarah and I and other people who have been around for a long time.
“And that’s come out of NUH.”
Sarah Hawkins added: “Life couldn’t get any more worse and they did this to us and then they say this about us.
“We just feel like these complete utter monsters shouldn’t be working in a caring profession. There’s a standard for caring and kindness, which is what the NHS should be about.”
Jack Hawkins called these claims “unfathomably heartless”, adding: “We want change… the thing to allow you to change is to recognise that you need to change.
“If your attitude is that you don’t and that we are in fact scamming the system in some way, it’s so disheartening.
“We’re not doing this for any reason other than babies are dying and being harmed and mums are dying and being harmed and families are being ripped apart.”
Jack and Sarah said they want disciplinary action for those found to have made the reported comments.
One mother involved in the review, who asked not to be named, said the families want “accountability” from NUH over the care failings.
She said: “[In the meeting] it was mentioned many times about ‘we apologise, we know we need to apologise’ and as a big family group we have said time and time again it isn’t about apologising, it is that word accountability.
“I just feel accountability isn’t talked about enough… we said [in a previous meeting] ‘we want [NUH] to admit something’s happened. We want to name names’.
“I know there are people who are involved in my [child’s] care and mine who years later are still employed at the hospital.”
She said the blame was ‘put on her’ over her child’s care – who is now left with health complications.
Reacting to the alleged compensation comments, Anthony May speaking after the meeting said he was “shocked” to hear these being made.
He said: “No matter where they hear [comments] or where it comes from, it’s got to stop.
“The families are some of the most courageous people I’ve ever come across who’ve not only suffered lifelong trauma, but they’re happy to tell their experiences over and over again to try and improve.
Mr May said he had sent an email to everyone working at NUH today explaining comments such as these are “not acceptable” and anyone found to make them would be a “conduct issue”.
“The vast majority of people who work in the trust would never, ever dream of [saying] that, but if they do, then there are processes we can use to deal with that.”
There is also the ongoing corporate manslaughter investigation launched by Nottinghamshire Police look into whether the overall responsibility of the deaths lies with NUH rather than specific individuals at the trust.