BBC Panorama Exposes Maternity Failures at Nottingham NHS Trust

Jodi Newton

A new BBC Panorama investigation, “Maternity Failures: The Fight for Justice”, has brought renewed and deeply concerning attention to the standard of maternity care provided within parts of the NHS.

The programme focuses on Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), where allegations of unsafe practices, poor culture, and chronic understaffing have been raised by both patients and healthcare professionals. These revelations come just weeks before the publication of the long-awaited Ockenden Review, the largest maternity inquiry in NHS history.

A Concerning Culture Within Maternity Services

The investigation paints a troubling picture of attitudes on certain maternity wards.

One of the most striking allegations relates to the use of an offensive internal shorthand reportedly written on patient boards. Staff are said to have used the acronym “FOH” as a signal that a pregnant woman should be sent away from the unit – the “F” representing a swear word, the “O” meaning “off”, and the “H” meaning “home”.

Further accounts suggest that, at times, staff were encouraged to deter pregnant women from returning to the unit after presenting with concerns about being in labour, with one midwife reportedly advising colleagues: “Don’t be too kind, she’ll keep coming back.”

Delayed Admissions and Impact on Patient Safety

A key theme emerging from the investigation is an apparent effort to delay admitting women in labour.

Former staff interviewed as part of the programme described a pattern of encouraging women to stay at home for as long as possible, even where there were concerns that they might be in labour.

This approach, if not clinically justified, can be extremely dangerous. Timely assessment and monitoring are critical during labour, and failures in this regard can lead to life-altering birth injuries or even loss of life for both mother and baby.

Concerns were not limited to admission practices. Panorama also reported instances of inappropriate and distressing communication with patients during labour. One senior midwife recalled overhearing a colleague tell a woman: “I’ve never had to tell a woman so loudly, and so often, that she would kill her baby if she didn’t push.”

Accounts From Staff: Lack of Support and Resources

The investigation also highlights serious concerns from those working within the Trust.

Midwives who spoke to Panorama also described feeling unsupported, with requests for assistance during complex cases going unanswered. In one account, a junior staff member’s call for help was reportedly ignored, with a midwife recalling: “But [she] was ignored when she buzzed [for help]… The co-ordinator and her cronies were busy shopping for handbags online.”

As far back as 2018, senior midwives had warned leadership about the risks posed by insufficient staffing and poor workforce planning, describing these issues as a threat to both patient safety and staff wellbeing.

The Ockenden Review: A Critical Moment Approaching

The Nottingham maternity services have been under scrutiny for several years, with the independent review led by Donna Ockenden examining the experiences of around 2,500 families.

The review has been tasked with investigating cases involving stillbirths, neonatal deaths, serious injuries to babies, maternal harm and maternal deaths.

Its findings, due to be published on 24 June 2026, are expected to provide a comprehensive assessment of what went wrong and what must change to prevent further harm.

A Wider Issue Across the NHS

While the Panorama programme focuses on Nottingham, it sits within a broader context of concerns about maternity safety nationwide.

Recent years have seen a number of investigations into maternity services across England, highlighting issues such as inadequate staffing, failures to listen to patients, delays in escalation of care, and poor communication between healthcare teams.

How Osbornes Law Can Help

At Osbornes Law, we understand just how devastating the consequences of poor maternity care can be for families.

Negligence can arise at any stage, during pregnancy, labour, or after birth, where the care provided falls below an acceptable standard and causes avoidable harm.

Our specialist medical negligence team has extensive experience supporting families affected by failures in maternity care. We work closely with leading medical experts to investigate what has happened and determine whether the care provided was negligent.

Where a claim is pursued, we aim not only to secure compensation, but also to help ensure that lessons are learned and standards are improved for others.

We understand that bringing a claim can feel overwhelming. Our approach is compassionate, clear, and supportive, guiding you through each stage of the process.

If you or your baby have been affected by concerns about maternity care, you can contact our team for a confidential discussion about your situation.