UNISON backs call for public inquiry into maternity services at Nottingham hospitals

UNISON East Midlands, the largest union representing health and social care workers in the region, is calling for a public inquiry into the maternity services at both Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital.

The trade union has been working with Nottingham’s Labour MPs, Alex Norris, Lilian Greenwood and Nadia Whittome for some time, raising an unacceptable number of serious issues and concerns from frontline health staff working for the trust.

UNISON’s Nottingham University Hospitals and Allied Services branch secretary Jamie Godber said: “We have been calling for a public inquiry for a while now and welcome the support of Nottingham’s Labour MPs in backing this necessary step.

“Staff working in maternity have raised concerns for years over these issues only for them to be dismissed and have their clinical judgement undermined. So much tragedy could have been avoided if staff had been listened to when advocating for their patients.

“A recent Care Quality Commission inspection found there to be a systemic culture of bullying. How can staff feel safe raising concerns whilst this bullying culture persists?

“The Trust have made some moves in the right direction, but there is an awful lot of work still to be done and grief-stricken families have waited long enough already for maternity services at NUH to be addressed.”

Notes to editors:

– The Care Quality Commission’s most recent report is here.

– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.