Latest news with #NHSfailings
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nottingham maternity crisis: Families call to meet PM over failings
Parents involved in an independent review into Nottingham's maternity services say they want to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to talk about the failings in care across the Monday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a "rapid" investigation into maternity care in and Jack Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet was stillborn in 2016 following maternity failings at Nottingham City Hospital, are calling for more action in the form of a statutory public this year Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust - which is at the centre of the largest ever review into NHS failings - was given a record £1.6m fine over failings around the deaths of three babies. Dr Hawkins said similar reviews into NHS failings had taken place and not achieved the results families had wanted, which is why he has backed calls for a national judge-led public inquiry."I think we're very clear that it's been tried before in various subtly different ways, and it will not work," he said."What we absolutely have to have is a statutory public inquiry, where people give evidence under oath, and are at risk of perjury in a court, just like the Post Office inquiry."There are thousands and thousands of avoidably dead babies and children in this country, in a system run by the state."Ms Hawkins and other affected families met with Streeting last she said he "has done more for us as families than any other health secretary", the desire for a judge-led inquiry remains."Families still don't feel like this is far enough," she said."I think it is happening right across England, and there may be hotspots where people are voicing their concerns and their thoughts, but there are also lots of families out there who are on their own and don't have support, and they really need a widespread public inquiry to look at all of this."Nottingham families are very keen that the prime minister now comes up and sees us and sees the damage and the harm that we will suffer for the rest of our lives."It's important that he knows not only what's going on in Nottingham but what's going on across the country." Felicity Benyon was fitted with a stoma in 2015 after her bladder was removed in error during an emergency hysterectomy after a Caesarean said her experience "has got more scary as the years have gone on" as she has heard about failings "not only in NHS maternity but the NHS as a whole"."The more and more I have an involvement with the NHS, each time they mess something up, and it just makes it harder and harder for me to see a doctor or go to hospital," she told BBC Radio Nottingham."I have an absolute fear now of doctors or anything [in a] hospital or medical setting - there is no trust."Ms Benyon, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, said she supported the ongoing Ockenden review, which was "really getting to the root causes of what's gone wrong at NUH".She described the new national investigation as "a positive step forward", but more needed to be done."It doesn't hold anyone to account, and accountability is a huge part of what we feel is needed, because too many people have got away with too much for too long," she said."I think the plan is a great first start for short-term goals, for making quick changes for making mums and babies safer, but we need a public inquiry to hold people to account." Analysis By Rob Sissons, health correspondent, BBC East MidlandsNothing has ever come easy for Nottingham's campaigning families harmed by catastrophic maternity failings - they had to fight for a meaningful review into Nottingham's maternity services after the first one was Streeting apologised that they had to fight so hard for justice after they described to him being "gaslit, ignored and lied to".The rapid investigation ordered by the current health secretary will look at wider major concerns across the country, and is not expected to get going much before August and deliver findings by is going to be a focus on 10 of what are described as the "worst performing" maternity services, but it is not clear how exactly these will be selected apart from it being data-driven, and some communities may feel left behind in this families who campaign in Nottingham are convinced nothing short of a major national judge-led statutory public inquiry will deliver meaningful change and expose the truth of what has gone wrong and health secretary has left the door open to a national inquiry and is expected to decide whether to recommend one after the rapid investigation reports.
Sky News
21-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Ex-classmates died after being treated at same mental health hospital - as concerns raised over other deaths
They were former classmates who both died after receiving care from the same mental health hospital three years apart. Warning: This article contains reference to suicide Multiple failings led to the death of 22-year-old Alice Figueiredo - who took her own life in July 2015 - and the NHS trust responsible for her care was charged with corporate manslaughter. Last week, following a months-long trial, the trust was found not guilty of that charge but was convicted of serious health and safety failings. Karis Braithwate, who had gone to school with Alice, also died in 2018, having been treated by the same NHS trust. Reports seen by Sky News detail a decade of deaths at North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), with coroners repeatedly raising concerns about the mental health services provided by the trust - in particular at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford. Rushed assessments and neglect were often cited. One patient was marked as alive and well, even though he had taken his own life inside the hospital the previous day. Another patient told staff he was hearing voices telling him to kill himself, yet staff did not remove crucial items from his possession - items he would later use to take his own life. Karis, 24, was sent to Goodmayes Hospital after she tried to take her own life at a train station in October 2018. The next day, staff spent 27 minutes assessing her and a further two minutes confirming their conclusion. She was discharged from hospital in the afternoon. She then went to a nearby railway station and took her own life. Her death came less than an hour after she had left the hospital. Karis had been friends with Alice, her mother said. The pair had been classmates at the same school. Karis told her mother she was upset at being put on the same ward where Alice had taken her own life three years earlier. Her stepfather Mark Bambridge called Karis sweet and kind and said she often "struggled with life". He felt relief when she was taken to hospital, saying: "She was in a place where she would be taken care of." Karis's mother - who asked not to be named - said her daughter confided in her about the neglect she endured at the hospital. Karis told her mother that her carer would sleep when they were supposed to be watching over her and said she never felt safe. "She spoke of her belongings going missing, of being treated with indifference and disrespect, and of staff who showed little concern for her wellbeing," her mother said. Karis's mother said her daughter was failed by the hospital and the family was offered only a "hollow, superficial and indifferent 'apology' from the administration team of those who were meant to protect her". In the wake of the verdict in Alice's case, Karis's mother said: "I am holding Alice's family in my thoughts and praying they receive the justice they - and we - so clearly need and deserve." A spokesperson for NELFT called Karis's death a "profound tragedy" and said the trust had conducted an in-depth review of patient safety since 2018, "resulting in significant changes in the way we assess risk of suicide". "We train our staff to consider the trauma in a patient's history, rather than focusing solely on their current crisis," the spokesperson added. "This approach allows us to see the person behind the diagnosis, making it easier to identify warning signs and support safe recovery." The trust said it had also improved record-keeping and communication between emergency workers and mental health practitioners. The man marked as alive after he'd died Sky News looked at more than 20 prevention of future death reports, which are written by a coroner to draw attention to a matter in which they think action could be taken to prevent future deaths. Behind each report is a different person, but there are some strikingly similar themes - failure to carry out adequate risk assessments; issues sharing and recording information; neglect. One report said staff at Goodmayes Hospital "panicked and did not follow policy" in the wake of a man's death in 2021, instead writing that he was still alive when he had died the day before. Speaking in response at the time, the trust said it had written a "detailed action plan" to address concerns raised. Another report said one woman developed deep vein thrombosis after she was left to sit motionless in her room. She had not eaten or drunk anything in the two days before her death, and the trust was criticised for failing to record her food intake. Responding to the report at the time, the trust said it had implemented new policies to learn from her death. Issues stretched beyond Goodmayes Hospital and spanned the entire NHS trust. One man was not given any community support and overdosed after his access to medication was not limited. Another man, a father of three, was detained under the Mental Health Act but released from Goodmayes after just a few hours. The 39-year-old was found dead two weeks later after being reported missing by his family. At his inquest, a coroner raised concerns about the lack of a detailed assessment around him, with a junior doctor saying he was the only doctor available for 11 wards and 200 patients. 'Don't kill yourself on my shift' It has been 10 years since Alice took her own life inside the walls of Goodmayes Hospital. But current patients say the issues haven't gone away. Teresa Whitbread said her 18-year-old granddaughter Chantelle was a high suicide risk but she still managed to escape from the hospital "20 times". "I walked in one day and said, 'Where is Chantelle?', and no one could tell me," she told Sky News. On another occasion, Chantelle managed to get into the medical room and stabbed herself and a nurse with a needle. She said one nurse told her granddaughter: "Don't kill yourself on my shift. Wait until you go home and kill yourself." Teresa grew emotional as she talked about her granddaughter, once a vibrant young girl and avid boxer, whose treatment is now managed by community services. "It's made her worse," Teresa said of Chantelle's experience at Goodmayes Hospital. "There's no care, there's no care plan, there's no treatment." The NEFLT said it could not comment on specific cases but added that "patient safety is our absolute priority, and we work closely with our patients and their families to ensure we provide compassionate care tailored to their needs". Chantelle's family say she is a shell of her former self and have begged mental health services not send her back to Goodmayes. "Something has to change, and if it doesn't change, [the hospital] needs to be closed down," Teresa said. "Because people are not safe in there."
Sky News
21-06-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Ex-classmates died after being treated at same mental health hospital - as concerns raised over more deaths
They were former classmates who both died after receiving care from the same mental health hospital three years apart. Warning: This article contains reference to suicide Multiple failings led to the death of 22-year-old Alice Figueiredo - who took her own life in July 2015 - and the NHS trust responsible for her care was charged with corporate manslaughter. Last week, following a months-long trial, the trust was found not guilty of that charge but was convicted of serious health and safety failings. Karis Braithwate, who had gone to school with Alice, also died in 2018, having been treated by the same NHS trust. Reports seen by Sky News detail a decade of deaths at North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), with coroners repeatedly raising concerns about the mental health services provided by the trust - in particular at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford. Rushed assessments and neglect were often cited. One patient was marked as alive and well, even though he had taken his own life inside the hospital the previous day. Another patient told staff he was hearing voices telling him to kill himself, yet staff did not remove crucial items from his possession - items he would later use to take his own life. Karis, 24, was sent to Goodmayes Hospital after she tried to take her own life at a train station in October 2018. The next day, staff spent 27 minutes assessing her and a further two minutes confirming their conclusion. She was discharged from hospital in the afternoon. She then went to a nearby railway station and took her own life. Her death came less than an hour after she had left the hospital. Karis had been friends with Alice, her mother said. The pair had been classmates at the same school. Karis told her mother she was upset at being put on the same ward where Alice had taken her own life three years earlier. Her stepfather Mark Bambridge called Karis sweet and kind and said she often "struggled with life". He felt relief when she was taken to hospital, saying: "She was in a place where she would be taken care of." Karis's mother - who asked not to be named - said her daughter confided in her about the neglect she endured at the hospital. Karis told her mother that her carer would sleep when they were supposed to be watching over her and said she never felt safe. "She spoke of her belongings going missing, of being treated with indifference and disrespect, and of staff who showed little concern for her wellbeing," her mother said. Karis's mother said her daughter was failed by the hospital and the family was offered only a "hollow, superficial and indifferent 'apology' from the administration team of those who were meant to protect her". In the wake of the verdict in Alice's case, Karis's mother said: "I am holding Alice's family in my thoughts and praying they receive the justice they - and we - so clearly need and deserve." A spokesperson for NELFT called Karis's death a "profound tragedy" and said the trust had conducted an in-depth review of patient safety since 2018, "resulting in significant changes in the way we assess risk of suicide". "We train our staff to consider the trauma in a patient's history, rather than focusing solely on their current crisis," the spokesperson added. "This approach allows us to see the person behind the diagnosis, making it easier to identify warning signs and support safe recovery." The trust said it had also improved record-keeping and communication between emergency workers and mental health practitioners. The man marked as alive after he'd died Sky News looked at more than 20 prevention of future death reports, which are written by a coroner to draw attention to a matter in which they think action could be taken to prevent future deaths. Behind each report is a different person, but there are some strikingly similar themes - failure to carry out adequate risk assessments; issues sharing and recording information; neglect. One report said staff at Goodmayes Hospital "panicked and did not follow policy" in the wake of a man's death in 2021, instead writing that he was still alive when he had died the day before. Speaking in response at the time, the trust said it had written a "detailed action plan" to address concerns raised. Another report said one woman developed deep vein thrombosis after she was left to sit motionless in her room. She had not eaten or drunk anything in the two days before her death, and the trust was criticised for failing to record her food intake. Responding to the report at the time, the trust said it had implemented new policies to learn from her death. Issues stretched beyond Goodmayes Hospital and spanned the entire NHS trust. One man was not given any community support and overdosed after his access to medication was not limited. Another man, a father of three, was detained under the Mental Health Act but released from Goodmayes after just a few hours. The 39-year-old was found dead two weeks later after being reported missing by his family. At his inquest, a coroner raised concerns about the lack of a detailed assessment around him, with a junior doctor saying he was the only doctor available for 11 wards and 200 patients. 'Don't kill yourself on my shift' It has been 10 years since Alice took her own life inside the walls of Goodmayes Hospital. But current patients say the issues haven't gone away. Teresa Whitbread said her 18-year-old granddaughter Chantelle was a high suicide risk but she still managed to escape from the hospital "20 times". "I walked in one day and said, 'Where is Chantelle?', and no one could tell me," she told Sky News. On another occasion, Chantelle managed to get into the medical room and stabbed herself and a nurse with a needle. She said one nurse told her granddaughter: "Don't kill yourself on my shift. Wait until you go home and kill yourself." Teresa grew emotional as she talked about her granddaughter, once a vibrant young girl and avid boxer, whose treatment is now managed by community services. "It's made her worse," Teresa said of Chantelle's experience at Goodmayes Hospital. "There's no care, there's no care plan, there's no treatment." The NEFLT said it could not comment on specific cases but added that "patient safety is our absolute priority, and we work closely with our patients and their families to ensure we provide compassionate care tailored to their needs". Chantelle's family say she is a shell of her former self and have begged mental health services not send her back to Goodmayes. "Something has to change, and if it doesn't change, [the hospital] needs to be closed down," Teresa said. "Because people are not safe in there."
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
General Medical Council reviewing 35 Nottingham maternity cases
The body that regulates doctors says it is looking into complaints from 35 families who have shared concerns about Nottingham's maternity services.The city's two NHS hospitals are at the centre of the largest inquiry into NHS failings since the health service was founded in 1948, being led by Donna Ockenden, after hundreds of babies died or suffered harm.The General Medical Council (GMC) told the BBC it was also looking to talk to 33 other families about their maternity cases in organisation said investigations into the 35 family cases were at different stages. To begin with it "triages" cases with an initial assessment to check that allegations fall within the scope of the organisation's cases then move into the investigation stage where the GMC looks into cases further. This may involve gathering evidence, interviewing people and examining are a range of possible outcomes, including no further action, a warning or, where there is evidence of impaired fitness to practice, the case may be passed on to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) for a a case is proven, the tribunal can impose a range of sanctions, which can include ordering retraining or suspension from the medical register. The ultimate sanction is for someone to be removed from the register, sometimes described as being "struck off " which would bar someone from working as a doctor. Last weekend the GMC and the regulator of nurses and midwives, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) . apologised to harmed families for not responding quicker to the Nottingham maternity organisations plan to have surgeries in Nottingham where people can give information to both regulators about professional conduct they would like to be examined. The NMC told the BBC it currently has 12 family cases referred to it relating to Nottingham maternity cases mentioning 38 names of health professionals. Fourteen of those individuals were being investigated and would have been alerted to that, while the rest are concerns undergoing what are described as "screening checks" before a decision is made on whether to progress to a formal investigation. Harmed families in Nottingham have been pressing for greater individual accountability over maternity failings. A police investigation named Operation Perth is ongoing which will consider whether criminal charges should be brought against any individuals or whether there is a case of corporate manslaughter for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) to answer. The Care Quality Commission has successfully prosecuted the trust twice over the deaths of four babies. NUH has said it has an ongoing maternity improvement programme and is co-operating with the police and regulators.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Regulators apologise for Nottingham maternity scandal response
The organisations responsible for regulating the conduct of doctors, midwives and nurses have issued a public apology over the experience of families with maternity care of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and General Medical Council (GMC) addressed families in Nottingham at a meeting organised by Donna Ockenden on Saturday. The senior midwife is leading the biggest investigation into maternity failings in NHS history centred on Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust (NUH)."We owe the people of Nottingham an apology," said Paul Rees, chief executive and registrar of the NMC. Mr Rees said his organisation "had not been proactive" and "did not engage with families well enough".He added: "I am pleased to say we have changed all this now." Mr Rees signalled the need to reach out to other communities about maternity care and accepted the NMC's website was "too confusing and complicated".He said it needed to be written in "plain English", adding it was vital people wanting to raise concerns understood how to get help from the organisation. Liz Jenkins, assistant director at the GMC, added: "We are sorry we haven't always got interactions with families right."Both organisations are now running regular "surgeries" for families to book in for discussions with individual health professionals. Sarah and Dr Jack Hawkins' daughter Harriet was stillborn in 2016 following maternity failings at City Hospital in Hawkins said they noticed a "step change" in the approach of the regulators which he attributed to the "power and determination" of families coming Hawkins said: "For a long time (when) families raised concerns with regulators it has been another fight to have. It is reassuring that has changed now." Sarah Sissons, whose son Ryan was born with brain damage 17 years ago because of poor maternity care, welcomed the regulators' said they "seemed to be wanting to do the right thing", but added: "Is it a little bit too late? Potentially. "They have a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with the parents. We will see." Ms Ockenden said: "My sense is they are now trying to engage effectively with the enormity of what has happened here in Nottingham."The NMC told the BBC it currently has 12 family cases referred to it relating to Nottingham maternity checks, called "screening", are being carried out in relation to 24 individuals. Meanwhile, the professional conduct of 14 people were moved to the "investigation stage". Both organisations have a range of sanctions if disciplinary hearings are eventually held and cases ultimate sanction is to strike off an individual from the professional register, which means they would no longer be able to Ockenden began an independent review into maternity failings in Nottingham in September 2022 and is due to deliver her findings in June 2026. In total, 2,361 cases where babies and women have died or been injured are being examined.
