Update on our progress (17 March 2026)

Operation Perth - update on our progress

Operation Perth has now received 393 family folders from the independent maternity care review led by Donna Ockenden.

To date, 299 family folders have been assessed by the Senior Investigating Officer following a review by investigators. We have informed nearly all these affected families of the outcome of this assessment, and the team are working hard to inform families whose family folders were assessed very recently.

Additionally, we have recently reviewed the scope of the Operation Perth investigation and Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin has expanded the investigation, so it now also considers other serious offences which may have occurred in the antenatal phase of labour.

The offences Operation Perth are investigating are still primarily gross negligence manslaughter, serious assaults and corporate manslaughter.

However, whilst we were already reviewing some cases which related to medical termination of pregnancy (MTOP) and the associated offences under the Offences against the Person Act and the Abortion Act, we have now expanded the scope to incorporate all such cases that are referred to us by Donna Ockenden.

This now aligns Operation Perth with the independent review of maternity care at NUH and means that we will review all family folders that are referred to us through Donna Ockenden’s review.

This will also provide us with a complete understanding of matters connected with NUH maternity services, which will in turn, we think, support our ongoing investigation.

We are continuing to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in relation to early investigative advice in relation to a number of cases.

It is important though that we continue to manage expectations in this respect and so to be clear, at this time, we are not seeking charging decisions, but working collaboratively with CPS to assess each case to establish lines of enquiry and the viability for prosecution. This is known as Early Investigative Advice (EIA).

Finally, we are in the process of gathering evidence in relation to the governance structure at the Trust and the associated meetings that had oversight of the clinical practice, policy, and procedure in relation to maternity services. This is really important when we consider the potential offence of corporate manslaughter.

The Operation Perth investigation remains focused on the families who are part of Donna Ockenden’s review and conducting a meticulous investigation into Nottingham University Hospital’s NHS Trust.

We have received feedback from families that the law and in particular the offences under consideration are complicated.

In recognition of this, the investigation team are attending Families Day on Saturday 21 March and will ask families whether they would want Operation Perth to present and explain the offences at a Families Day.

The team would plan to do this in a closed session, so that families could choose if they wish to attend this or not. This is part of our families first approach and responding to feedback.