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The midwife’s notes from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) reveal a disturbing insight into the culture within its maternity unit. An acronym scrawled on a whiteboard beside the names of heavily pregnant women—”FOH”—was not an ordinary clinical shorthand but a crude message telling expectant mothers to “F*** Off Home.” This offensive phrase embodied a dismissive and hostile attitude toward women arriving at the unit, many of whom were in genuine distress or early stages of labor. The revelation comes from a 2018 resignation letter by a senior midwife, highlighting deep concerns about care standards and staff attitudes within NUH.
Panorama has reviewed confidential documents and interviewed numerous midwives who served in Nottingham’s maternity wards over the past decade, uncovering a toxic workplace culture marked by bullying and neglect. Apart from disrespectful language, there was a persistent drive to keep women at home as long as possible before admitting them. One midwife recounted a heartbreaking case where a woman was advised against admission despite being in labor; when she eventually arrived, her baby had tragically died, and the mother suffered severe injuries. Such neglectful decisions raise vital questions about protocols and the balance between managing hospital resources and providing timely care.
The maternity care issues at NUH are currently under scrutiny by the largest inquiry in NHS history, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden. Covering around 2,500 families from 2012 to 2025, the investigation probes stillbirths, maternal deaths, neonatal injuries, and other adverse outcomes linked to systemic failings. Ockenden describes the trust as having an entrenched sense of superiority—a “Nottingham way”—which may have fostered defensive attitudes and resistance to external accountability. The trust’s current chief executive, Anthony May, who was not in office during the period under review, has acknowledged the problems and committed to organizational accountability and reform.
Former staff accounts reveal that chronic understaffing exacerbated these difficulties, forcing midwives to endure unmanageable workloads and emotional strain. One midwife reflected on the need to “lower your compassion” just to survive in such an environment. Moreover, the inquiry has revealed incidents of staff neglecting their duties, including a coordinator and colleagues preoccupied with trivial pursuits while urgent care was needed elsewhere. These revelations illuminate a profound breakdown in workplace culture and management, resulting in tragic consequences for mothers and babies. The upcoming report from the inquiry, due on 24 June, is highly anticipated and may serve as a catalyst for much-needed change in maternity services at NUH and beyond
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