Absent entirely from UK newspaper front pages today but featured in TV news broadcasts, the above story anticipates a report into maternity services in Nottingham which will be frankly horrific and which police locally have strangely labelled their investigation into criminality, ‘Operation Perth’:

The largest maternity review in the history of the NHS – which is expected to detail widespread failings that led to the deaths of babies and avoidable harm – will be published later.

About 2,500 families and more than 800 staff members have contributed to the review into Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, which began in September 2022.

The trust has already paid out millions of pounds in compensation and fines, including the largest fine ever given to an NHS trust for maternity failings of £1.6m over the deaths of three babies in 2021.

The review – led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden – is due to be published on Wednesday, while a police investigation continues. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8e2xrke8l5o

What is expected in the Ockenden report into Nottingham maternity services today?

Horrendous and widespread failings in care, leading to avoidable baby deaths (including stillbirths), neonatal deaths, life-changing injuries (e.g., brain damage), and harm to mothers. A senior source described the conclusions as “very bad” and “horrendous,” with “pretty challenging stuff.” https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/22/nottingham-nhs-maternity-scandal-ockenden-report

Appalling staff behaviour, including racism towards mothers, poor culture, bullying, discrimination, and derogatory language (e.g., staff using terms like “compo seekers” for affected families). https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/22/nottingham-nhs-maternity-scandal-ockenden-report

Systemic issues such as chronic understaffing, inadequate training, poor governance, weak incident investigation and learning, leadership failures, and a lack of listening to families and whistleblowing staff. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyr7em4323mo

They will claim ‘Perth’ is just a random selection but here’s a reminder of why it’s so inappropritate:

Am I over-reacting to the possibility of confusion among some, even in Perth, Scotland, when a major police investigation in Nottingham adopts that title?

Perhaps we should check the facts just in case some, in Scotland too, think it’s just as bad here going by the stories about the QEUH in the Daily Record and Herald recently?

No equivalent to the hundreds of excess/avoidable harms documented in Nottingham has emerged in public reporting for Tayside.¹

Returning to my headline reference to ‘England’s first full investigation‘, how many formal investigations into maternity services in England are there? Twelve.²

In Scotland, comparably formal? None. Scottish Government ‘review’ in 2026. ³

Sources:

1. https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240227-Neonatal-Mortality-Review-Data-Analysis-Supporting-Document-FINAL-NO-EMBARGO.pdf
2. https://www.matneoinv.org.uk/updates/independent-investigation-into-maternity-and-neonatal-services-in-england-interim-report/
3. https://www.gov.scot/policies/maternal-and-child-health/improving-maternal-and-neonatal-care/