A couple whose newborn daughter died due to avoidable mistakes at Nottingham City Hospital has spoken out about their heartbreak and the systemic failures within the UK's National Health Service (NHS). Sarah and Jack Hawkins lost their daughter Harriet on April 17, 2016, following what they describe as "entirely avoidable mistakes by its medical staff." They emphasize that in any other setting where a child dies, it would be treated as a crime scene.

Senior midwife Donna Ockenden's 343-page review of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), which oversees Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen’s Medical Centre, revealed that over 500 babies and mothers died or suffered serious harm between 2012 and 2025 due to the trust's failures. The review, described as the largest maternity care scandal in NHS history, found that babies died from conditions such as oxygen starvation and mismanaged labor, while pregnant and postpartum women were subjected to cruel and brutal treatment.

A Decade of Struggle

The Hawkins family's ordeal highlights a prolonged period of distress and a lack of accountability. "Ten years on, not a single person has been held accountable for what happened to Harriet. No jobs have been lost. No jail sentences given," the couple stated. Their experience has led them to become campaigners, as they feel regulatory bodies like the GMC, NMC, and CQC are not adequately addressing the issues. This has taken a significant toll, with both Sarah and Jack losing their NHS jobs and experiencing a separation due to grief.

They are horrified that Harriet's death did not spur systemic change, leading to further harm and fatalities. The couple points to previous maternity scandals in Shropshire and Kent as evidence that these failings are not isolated to NUH but are systemic across England, estimating that "three avoidable baby deaths on maternity wards today alone" occur statistically.

Systemic Issues and Calls for Inquiry

Following Ockenden's report, which outlined 18 "immediate and essential" actions, Health Secretary James Murray announced a six-month plan to address the issues. The government also plans to introduce "Martha's rule," inspired by Martha Mills who died of sepsis in 2021, to all maternity units, entitling parents to a second medical opinion. However, the Hawkins family views the proposed action plan with skepticism, believing immediate implementation of Ockenden's recommendations is necessary.

Ockenden's review also found that families who complained to NUH faced an "intimidating, male-dominated panel" that was dismissive of non-medical voices. The couple attributes this to a broader culture of misogyny and disdain for pregnant women, calling for a public inquiry to compel senior NHS staff to provide evidence under oath and address what happened, why it happened, and how to prevent future occurrences.

Nottinghamshire Police have opened a corporate manslaughter investigation into NUH. However, the threshold for criminal charges is high, and coroners cannot currently investigate stillbirths, a legal change that has been stalled in parliament since 2019.

The Loss of Harriet

Sarah Hawkins experienced a straightforward pregnancy, but her labor was severely mishandled. Despite multiple calls to the hospital, she was initially told not to come in. Upon admission to Nottingham City Hospital, staff allegedly failed to recognize the urgency of the situation. A doctor struggled to find Harriet's heartbeat due to the mother's full bladder, and a midwife questioned Sarah's actions. The couple believes Harriet was likely already dead or dying by this point. After nine hours of labor, Harriet was delivered, but it was too late.

An internal hospital review initially attributed Harriet's death to an infection and stated the hospital was not at fault. However, the trust's own postmortem report contradicted this, finding no infection. The Hawkinses felt they were being "gaslit" and suspected a cover-up. Harriet's body was kept in the hospital mortuary for three months until an independent review in 2018 concluded her death was "almost certainly preventable" due to 13 avoidable mistakes. The hospital later admitted liability, allowing the couple to finally organize their daughter's funeral.

Years later, in 2024, the couple learned that Harriet's body had decomposed in the mortuary to the extent her remains had to be specially wrapped. The couple, who received a £2.8 million compensation settlement in 2021, are still financially worse off and driven by the loss of their daughter.

Community and Advocacy

Finding other affected families proved difficult initially due to the hospital's alleged practice of isolating and blaming parents. However, in 2019, they connected with Gary Andrews, whose daughter Wynter died shortly after birth at Queen's Medical Centre. This led to the formation of a support group for victims. The group draws strength from each other, united by shared experiences of avoidable mistakes and a perceived lack of accountability within the system. They hope that by continuing their campaign, they can ensure such tragedies are prevented in the future.