A scandal-hit NHS trust is being investigated for potential offences of corporate manslaughter following deaths and serious injuries related to maternity care.
Nottinghamshire Police launched a criminal investigation in September 2023 after concerns were raised about severe harm allegedly linked to maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).
On Monday, the force said it was looking at whether NUH had been “grossly negligent in the management of its activities” in the lead up to deaths at the trust.
NUH is currently the subject of the largest-ever NHS maternity review, which is being led by former senior midwife Donna Ockenden.
The review includes around 2,000 experiences of maternity care at the trust, including deaths and injuries.
The parents of a baby who was stillborn under the care of the trust said the corporate manslaughter investigation “is just one piece of the jigsaw towards accountability”.
Dr Jack and Sarah Hawkins, who both used to work for the trust until their daughter Harriet died in 2016, said: “Our lives were completely destroyed by the unimaginable and repeated trauma at the hands of NUH.
“This investigation is just one piece of the jigsaw towards accountability.
“A prosecution for corporate manslaughter will only penalise the trust, not the individuals responsible, many of whom are still working today.
“We must never lose sight of individual accountability for those who so cruelly stole not just our daughter’s life and voice but many others.
“We will continue to fight for justice, not only for Harriet, but for all those whose lives have shattered.”
