A simple WhatsApp message asking a grieving father if he wished to talk acted as the catalyst for the largest maternity investigation in NHS history. Gary Andrews reached out to Dr. Jack Hawkins after reading about his struggles, sparking a movement that eventually exposed severe failings at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Donna Ockenden, leading the independent review, identified that 260 infants died or suffered serious harm due to systemic and enduring neglect. The report highlighted how the efforts of families like the Andrews and the Hawkins shifted the narrative from isolated incidents to a pattern of institutional failure. Jack and Sarah Hawkins sought answers following the 2016 stillbirth of their daughter, Harriet, while Gary and Sarah Andrews fought for recognition after their daughter, Wynter, died shortly after birth in 2019.
Both couples refused to accept the hospital’s initial claims that these tragedies were unavoidable. By connecting through social media and rallying other affected parents, they forced a broader examination of the trust’s practices. The resulting report cited multiple missed warning signs, including ignored internal alerts regarding staffing shortages.
The NHS trust has since issued an apology, admitting that trust is earned through concrete actions rather than apologies. While the investigation has concluded with hundreds of cases identified as potentially preventable, the families involved continue to advocate for lasting national reforms to prevent future tragedies.
