Calls have been made for the Government to carry out a full public inquiry into maternity services in Nottingham.
Nottinghamshire Labour County Councillors, Councillor Michelle Welsh and Councillor Penny Gowland, have tabled a motion for a full public inquiry into the services run by Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH).
This comes after a damning CQC report into Nottingham University Hospitals Trust that led to an inquiry, carried out by NHS England and the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG, into whether NUH kept serious mistakes on its maternity wards hidden from health bosses.
They have asked for the council to write to the Secretary of State for Health to express serious concerns and to present the case for a full public inquiry.
The councillors also want the secretary of state, Sajid Javid, to meet with the authority's Health Scrutiny Committee and families affected by the services at NUH
Labour Nottinghamshire County Councillor Michelle Welsh, who represents Arnold South, said: “The magnitude of the long-standing issues in maternity services at the Nottingham University Hospital is far greater than I had even thought it was.
"It has been reported that serious incidents within the Maternity departments at Nottingham University Hospital were downgraded by the hospital to avoid scrutiny.
"Serious mistakes were kept hidden from regulators and senior health bosses, which meant the Trust avoided scrutiny.
"Incidents are governed by national rules that ensure incidents are reported nationally and properly.
"However, NUH developed its own process and used a subcategory resulting in some stillborn babies not being categorised as serious incidents, therefore have never been investigated.
"This very serious and scandalous situation requires a full public inquiry, the protection of mothers and babies should be of paramount importance to Nottinghamshire County Council.”
Labour Nottinghamshire County Councillor Penny Gowland, for West Bridgford North, added: “The situation at NUH maternity department now needs to be thoroughly and independently investigated: we need this for the parents, the children and indeed for the staff, many of whom are working under very difficult conditions.
"These hospitals are so important in the lives of everyone in Nottinghamshire: we want them to be the best, not just adequate or not failing.”
NUH changed their mistakes reporting processes in early 2017 and again in 2021 with the aim of ensuring that the right level of investigation is carried out every time.
Chief Nurse for Nottingham University Hospitals, Michelle Rhodes, said: “We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the families using our services get the best possible care and are fully co-operating with the on-going independent review.”
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