Pregnant women suffer racist and discriminatory abuse at NHS trust, says inquiry head

Expectant mothers at a scandal-hit NHS trust have experienced “discriminatory and racist behaviour” including midwives mimicking their accents and refusing to provide interpreters, according to the head of an inquiry into its failings.

As part of the largest inquiry into a single service in the history of the NHS, Donna Ockenden is speaking with more than 1,900 families who have experienced stillbirth, neonatal death, maternal death or babies diagnosed with brain damage at Nottingham University hospitals NHS trust (NUH).

Ockenden, a senior midwife, said she had concerns about reports of racist behaviour uncovered during her interviews with families and 744 staff members who have come forward to participate in the review.

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Source: The Guardian, 24 July 2024