Head of maternity failures review quits after two weeks

A REVIEW into a hospital trust’s maternity failures has been thrown into disarray after its chairman quit just two weeks after being appointed to the job.

Julie Dent, who was asked to head the inquiry into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust by the Health Secretary said she had decided to step down for “personal reasons”.

An inquiry into the trust where dozens of babies have died or been left brain-damaged was announced last summer. But families had no confidence in the process and claimed it was “moving with the viscosity of treacle”.

Sajid Javid is under pressure from MPS and families to ask Donna Ockenden, who led the review in maternity failures at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, to replace Ms Dent.

After meeting some of the affected families yesterday, Mr Javid said that he was working with the NHS “to get the best possible leadership in place to deliver an independent review that leads to real change”.