Claire Levene
Solicitor
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Solicitor | Medical Negligence
Offensive Behaviour of Maternity Staff at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Today, the BBC has reported that midwives at a maternity unit in Nottingham, currently the subject of the largest ever maternity inquiry, used appallingly offensive terms to refer to patients.
The acronym “FOH” was reportedly used to indicate which women they wanted to leave the maternity unit – with “F” understood to represent an expletive, “O” for off, and “H” for home. The BBC reports that this acronym was described in a staff resignation letter in 2018 that has been viewed by the broadcaster.
It is also reported that in the same letter another midwife had “advised colleagues to get pregnant women, who had arrived worried they were going into labour, to go home with the advice: ‘‘Don’t be too kind, she’ll keep coming back”.
Nottingham Maternity Inquiry
The inquiry into maternity care at Nottingham, which is being led by an independent senior midwife, Donna Ockenden, is examining care provided to around 2,500 families between 2012 and 2025.
It is focusing in particular on:
- Stillbirths,
- Neonatal deaths,
- Maternal deaths,
- Injuries to babies and mothers.
The report setting out the findings of the inquiry is due to be published later this month. However, the BBC reports that it has already seen the report and spoken to 10 midwives who worked at the Trust about their experiences.
The programme Maternity Failures: The Fight for Justice is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now and is also due to be broadcast on BBC One this evening.
Watch on BBC iPlayer nowKey Concerns Reported by the BBC
According to the BBC, themes running through the inquiry’s findings include:
- Long-term chronic understaffing of clinical midwives, leading to staff being spread too thinly,
- Racist behaviour, including staff mimicking accents and non-white women being treated more dismissively,
It also appears that there was a lack of candour when things went wrong with parents “having to battle to get the death of their babies declared as a serious incident”.
Maternity Care and Patient Harm
These reports raise serious concerns about standards of care, communication, and safety within maternity services in Nottingham.
Where maternity care falls below an acceptable standard, the consequences can be life-changing for families, particularly where there has been delay in recognising complications or responding appropriately during labour and delivery.
How We Can Help?
We represent individuals affected by maternity care at Nottingham and other NHS Trusts across England.
If you or a loved one believe you may have suffered harm as a result of substandard maternity care, our specialist legal team can advise you on your options and whether you may be entitled to compensation.
You can contact us to discuss making a claim on a no win, no fee basis by:
- Calling us
- Emailing ab@phoenixlegalsolicitors.co.uk, or
- Submitting our contact form for a free call back.