Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust has been fined £1.6 million after admitting to failures in providing safe care and treatment that led to the deaths of three newborns in 2021.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) prosecuted the trust over serious and systemic failures that exposed mothers and their babies to avoidable harm. At Nottingham Magistrates’ Court, NUH pleaded guilty to six charges related to the deaths of:
• Adele O’Sullivan, who died 26 minutes after birth on April 7, 2021
• Kahlani Rawson, who died at four days old on June 15, 2021
• Quinn Parker, who died at one day old on July 16, 2021
Families Condemn “Inhumane” Treatment
During the court proceedings, families of the deceased babies expressed their heartbreak over the failings in maternity care.
Quinn Parker’s mother, Emmie Studencki, visited the hospital four times due to bleeding before her son was born. An inquest later concluded that an earlier Caesarean section could have possibly saved his life. She described the hospital’s treatment of her family as “contemptuous and inhumane.”
Adele O’Sullivan’s mother, Daniela, endured eight hours of pain before receiving medical attention, despite having a high-risk pregnancy. In a victim impact statement, she said:
“People who were supposed to help me did not help but harmed me mentally and physically forever.”
Ellise Rawson, mother of Kahlani Rawson, suffered delays in receiving an emergency Caesarean section despite reporting severe abdominal pain. Her son suffered a brain injury and died four days later. Amy Rawson, Kahlani’s grandmother, called his death a “preventable tragedy”, leaving the family “devastated, broken, and numb.”
NHS Trust Apologizes and Claims Improvements
NUH lawyers offered families “profound apologies and regrets” in court, stating that the trust has since made improvements, including:
• Hiring additional midwives
• Enhancing staff training
• Implementing better risk management systems
However, the CQC found significant failings in maternity care, including inadequate systems and processes to protect mothers and babies.
Largest Maternity Scandal in NHS History
This is the second time the CQC has prosecuted NUH over maternity care failures. The trust is also at the center of the largest maternity inquiry in NHS history, led by midwife Donna Ockenden.
The investigation, initially set to conclude earlier, has now been delayed until June 2026, as the number of families involved has grown to 2,032.
With maternity safety under intense scrutiny, families continue to demand accountability and systemic changes to prevent further tragedies.
