BBC Panorama's Maternity Failures: What Families Need to Know About Maternity Negligence Claims

The BBC Panorama documentary Maternity Failures: The Fight for Justice, broadcast on 1 June 2026, has brought renewed national attention to concerns surrounding maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. 

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Through powerful testimony from affected families, former staff members and healthcare leaders, the programme highlighted the devastating impact of maternity care failures and reignited important conversations about patient safety, accountability and learning within the NHS.

The documentary comes ahead of the publication of the independent maternity review led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, which is expected later this month. The review is examining maternity and neonatal care provided between 2012 and 2025 and is widely recognised as the largest investigation of its kind within NHS maternity services.

The issues explored in BBC Panorama's Maternity Failures documentary have also contributed to wider discussions about how maternity services respond when concerns are raised and what can be learned from serious incidents.

While the programme focused on Nottingham University Hospitals’ maternity services, the issues raised have significance far beyond a single NHS trust. Most importantly, it has highlighted the experiences of families whose lives have been profoundly affected by failures in maternity care and their ongoing search for answers, accountability and justice.

What Did BBC Panorama Reveal?

The Panorama documentary explored concerns raised by families, former staff members and healthcare leaders regarding maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Through personal testimony, families described occasions where they felt concerns during pregnancy, labour or delivery were not listened to or acted upon appropriately. Former staff members also spoke about workplace pressures, organisational culture and challenges relating to patient safety.

The programme examined allegations that opportunities to learn from serious incidents were sometimes missed, raising wider questions about accountability within healthcare organisations.

It is important to note that the documentary featured the experiences and perspectives of those involved and forms part of a broader process of investigation and review. The forthcoming Donna Ockenden maternity review is expected to provide a comprehensive assessment of the issues raised and identify opportunities for improvement.

Understanding the Nottingham Maternity Review

The independent review is being led by Donna Ockenden, an experienced senior midwife who previously chaired the review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

The Nottingham maternity review was commissioned following significant concerns about the safety and quality of maternity and neonatal care provided by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

The investigation is examining thousands of cases involving maternity and neonatal care, making it the largest maternity review in NHS history. The review is considering incidents including stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, birth injuries and cases involving serious harm to mothers and babies.

Importantly, the review is not solely focused on identifying failings. It is also intended to identify lessons to improve maternity care across the NHS and help prevent similar tragedies in the future.

What Can Families Learn from Reviews Like This?

Independent investigations, such as the Nottingham maternity review, play an important role in improving patient safety across the NHS.

By examining large numbers of cases, reviews can help identify patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed. This can lead to improvements in training, communication and patient safety procedures that help reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.

Importantly, reviews such as the Donna Ockenden Review are not solely focused on identifying what went wrong. They are also designed to ensure lessons are learned so that maternity services can continue to improve for future families.

Why Maternity Safety Matters

Pregnancy and childbirth should be safe experiences supported by compassionate, high-quality healthcare.

Although the vast majority of NHS maternity care is delivered safely and effectively, when standards fall below acceptable levels, the consequences can be life-changing.

Safe maternity care relies on healthcare professionals listening to women and families, monitoring maternal and fetal wellbeing, acting promptly when concerns arise, communicating effectively and ensuring appropriate clinical oversight.

When these systems work well, complications can often be identified and managed quickly. When they fail, mothers and babies can suffer avoidable harm.

Common Examples of Maternity Negligence

Maternity negligence can occur at any stage of pregnancy, labour, delivery or postnatal care.

Common examples of negligent maternity care include:

• Failure to recognise fetal distress occurs when warning signs that a baby is not receiving enough oxygen are missed or not acted upon promptly.

• Delayed caesarean section, where urgent intervention is required, but avoidable delays increase the risk of injury.

• Failure to act on reduced fetal movements, despite guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) emphasising the importance of prompt assessment when movements become reduced, weaker than usual or stop altogether.

• Failure to diagnose maternal infection or pre-eclampsia, which can place both mother and baby at risk if treatment is delayed.

• Errors during labour and delivery, including mistakes during labour management or obstetric procedures that result in avoidable injury.

• Delayed escalation of clinical concerns, where warning signs are not referred to senior clinicians quickly enough.
  

Depending on the circumstances, these failures can result in serious birth injuries, long-term disabilities, cerebral palsy, stillbirth, neonatal death and other complications affecting both mother and baby.

In some cases, families may later explore whether they have grounds to pursue birth injury claims if negligent maternity care contributed to the harm suffered.

The Lasting Impact on Families

The effects of negligent maternity care often extend far beyond the immediate events surrounding a birth.

Families may experience physical injuries, psychological trauma, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ongoing care needs and significant financial pressures. In some cases, the consequences can be lifelong.

For many parents, obtaining answers about what happened is just as important as seeking financial compensation. A thorough investigation can help families understand whether mistakes were made and whether those mistakes contributed to the harm suffered.

Accountability also plays an important role in helping healthcare providers learn from incidents and improve patient safety for future families.

Understanding Your Legal Rights

Healthcare providers owe patients a duty of care to provide treatment that meets accepted professional standards. When maternity care falls below those standards and causes avoidable harm, it may be possible to pursue a medical negligence claim.

To establish a claim, it is generally necessary to show that:

• The care provided fell below the standard reasonably expected of a healthcare professional; and

• Those failings directly caused avoidable injury, harm or loss.

Every case is unique and requires a detailed investigation.

Specialist maternity negligence solicitors regularly investigate maternity-related clinical negligence claims by reviewing medical records, obtaining independent expert evidence and carefully assessing whether the legal criteria for a claim are met.

Many maternity negligence claims can be pursued through No Win, No Fee funding arrangements, formally known as Conditional Fee Agreements. This means families can often access specialist legal advice and representation without paying legal fees upfront.

In addition to compensation, legal claims can help families obtain answers, secure accountability and access support for future care needs..

How Graystons Can Help

At Graystons Solicitors, we understand the devastating impact that negligent maternity care can have on families.

Our specialist medical negligence solicitors support clients pursuing birth injury claims and cases involving maternity negligence, obstetric negligence, delayed diagnosis and treatment, stillbirth negligence, neonatal death claims, cerebral palsy claims and other serious maternity care failings.

Our experienced legal team provides compassionate support, clear legal advice and practical guidance throughout the claims process, helping families obtain answers, accountability and access to the support they may need.

Speak to Our Maternity Negligence Claims Solicitors

If you believe that negligent maternity care has caused harm to you or your baby, our specialist medical negligence team may be able to help.

We provide clear legal advice, compassionate support and expert representation for families seeking answers following avoidable maternity injuries.

Contact Graystons Solicitors today for a confidential discussion about your circumstances, your legal options and whether you may be able to claim compensation following negligent maternity care.

Our specialist maternity negligence solicitors will be happy to explain the process and answer any questions you may have.