A devastating picture has emerged from Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, where failures in mortuary services have left countless families grieving in anguish. A landmark review by Dr Donna Ockenden exposed a disturbing pattern of incidents, highlighting the need for systemic change to prevent avoidable harm and uphold dignity.
The report, which examined care incidents from 2008 to 2025 at the Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, revealed numerous cases where the dignity of the deceased was compromised. These included a baby being treated as clinical waste, another mistakenly placed in a mortuary occupied by an adult, and an incorrect baby released to funeral directors. The review noted that many incidents shared striking similarities, indicating a concerning lack of learning from past mistakes.
One case that stands out is that of the Needham family, who lost their baby Kouper in 2019. The trauma they experienced was compounded when a disc containing graphic photographs of their son's post-mortem examination was sent to their home, accompanied by a letter detailing costs associated with his care. Natalie Needham described how these images replaced cherished memories of holding her son while he was alive.
The report detailed 381 harrowing cases, including a baby kept in the mortuary for an astonishing 772 days due to delays in moving them to freezer storage. Another case involved a mother being misinformed about her baby's sex, leading her to bury her child with incorrect name and gender. In 2024, a stillborn baby remained in a fridge on the labour ward for four days before their failure to transfer was identified – an incident recorded as 'baby found in fridge'.
The review also highlighted instances where clinicians used dehumanising language when referring to deceased babies, further alienating grieving parents and underscoring a systemic lack of sensitivity within the trust's post-death care. These findings have sparked significant concerns about NUH's standard of care, with calls for urgent improvements to prevent similar suffering in the future.
The NHS website states that bereavement services should provide 'a sensitive and compassionate response to families', but in many cases, this was not evident at NUH. The trust has acknowledged the need for change and is working on implementing recommendations from the review. However, more needs to be done to ensure that post-death care meets the high standards expected by patients and their families.
A spokesperson for the NHS Trust said: 'We acknowledge the distress caused to our patients and their families as a result of these incidents... We are committed to learning from these events and implementing changes to improve our services.'