Medical Negligence Lawyers Say Families Still Feel More Needs To Be Done In Wake Of Care Failings Over Baby Deaths

Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have spoken out after Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust was fined £1.6m for ‘avoidable failings’ in respect of three babies who died in 2021.

Specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are representing hundreds of families throughout the country who have been impacted by maternity care issues, including other parents whose children were under the care of the NUH NHS Trust.

Medical negligence lawyers say more needs to be done to improve safety

Lawyers say more needs to be done to improve safety after judge Grace Leong said the families in this case ‘placed their trust in a system meant to protect expectant mothers and keep babies safe - and that trust was broken.’

In fining the Trust £1.6m, reduced from £5.5m after guilty pleas, judge Leong also worryingly said there were similarities among the "catalogue of failures" across the cases.

Rosie Charlton is an expert medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell supporting other families in Nottingham:

Expert Opinion

“News of the fine imposed on NUH NHS Trust is the latest step in a catalogue of failures attributed to this Trust over a number of years. The impact on the families involved is devastating and still raw several years later. No fine or guilty plea can ever make up for their loss.

“Maternity failings have lasting consequences for those involved. The families we represent not only want to see answers and justice in their own cases, but importantly to be sure improvements are put in place to ensure that no other families have to suffer as they have.

“Sadly these cases don’t exist in isolation and users of maternity services in this Trust and others across the country need to be confident that lessons have been learned and such tragic cases become a thing of the past. More needs to be done to provide public confidence that steps are being taken to ensure no repeat of these tragic events.

“For now, we continue to support our clients as they seek their own answers and join other families determined to see these heartbreaking cases mark a lasting turning point in maternity safety.” Rosie Charlton

Trust admitted six counts of failing to provide safe care

In this case, NUH NHS Trust admitted six counts of failing to provide safe care and treatment to the babies and mothers involved. All the babies died shortly after they were born.

This is the second time NUH NHS Trust has been prosecuted by the Care Quality Commission. The trust was fined £800,000 in 2023 and remains the subject of the largest maternity review in NHS history, involving some 2,500 cases.

Find out more about our expertise in supporting families affected by maternity care issues at our dedicated birth injuries section. Alternatively, to speak to an expert contact us or call 0370 1500 100.