The Ockenden inquiry chair has been appointed to lead a new review into the Nottingham maternity scandal after families campaigned for her appointment.
Donna Ockenden, chair of the Shrewsbury maternity inquiry has been appointed as the new chair for the Nottingham it has been announced.
Her appointment comes after families campaigned for weeks for the NHS to appoint her as the new chair.
Families were told the current review team would conclude their work by Friday 10 June, after concerns from families, NHS England and stakeholders that the current review was not fit for purpose.
NHs England said it would be publishing and interim report on Thursday which has been completed by the current review team.
In a letter to families today, NHS England chief operating officer David Sloman said: “I want to begin by apologising for the distress caused by the delay in our announcing a new chair and to take this opportunity to update you on how the work to replace the existing Review has been developing as we have taken on board various views that you have shared with us.”
“After careful consideration and in light of the concerns from some families, our own concerns, and those of stakeholders including in the wider NHS that the current Review is not fit for purpose, we have taken the decision to ask the current Review team to conclude all of their work by Friday 10 June.”
“We will be asking the new national Review team to begin afresh, drawing a line under the work undertaken to date by the current local Review team, and we are using this opportunity to communicate that to you clearly.”
“I can confirm that Donna Ockenden has agreed to chair the new Review and we will work with her to develop a new Terms of Reference that reflects the need to both drive urgent improvements to local maternity care and the need to deliver actionable recommendations that can be implemented as quickly as possible.”
