Regulator 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 Nottingham.

The 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 remit.

Some cases then move into the investigation stage, in which the GMC looks into cases further. This may involve gathering evidence, interviewing people and examining records.

There are a range of possible outcomes, including no further action, a warning or, where there is evidence of impaired fitness to practise, the case may be passed on to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) for a hearing.

If 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 review.

Both 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 in 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 (NUH) NHS Trust 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.

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