Update on our progress (5 May 2026)

Operation Perth remains dedicated to our families’ first approach.

As part of this, we are once again inviting your feedback on how you would like Operation Perth to engage with you, the families of Operation Perth.

We remain committed to attending the Family Days hosted by the Independent Maternity Review. However, we recognise that when this review concludes, families may wish for Operation Perth to continue to provide updates through alternative means, with a focus on the findings of the independent review and our progress.

We would value your thoughts and ideas over how we could do this. Please email suggestions to [email protected]

Operation Perth has now received 424 family folders from the Independent Maternity Review.

We are continuing to collaborate with Donna Ockenden and her team to obtain the remaining family folders as soon as they are available.

As the review approaches publication, we expect to receive a significantly higher number of folders.

When we receive these, no family folder will be prioritised over another – our approach remains the same. Once a family folder is received, it is registered as part of our investigation and allocated according to the order in which we have received it.

The SIO has now reviewed 335 of 424 family folders, and on the balance of probabilities, determined whether a criminal offence has occurred or not.

The SIO’s assessment is informed by expert opinions from the Independent Maternity Review and considers evidence from parallel investigations, including those carried out by HM Coroner and other regulatory bodies.

As our review is based on draft reports from the Independent Maternity Review, we will re-examine the clinical opinions in each folder after the review has published its final report, to ensure we have made the right decisions. This work will start when the Independent Maternity Review is published.

The Corporate Manslaughter Investigation remains ongoing, focusing on systemic issues concerning the quality of care provided in maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

This investigation continues to run parallel with our investigation to identify any criminal offences in the care provided to families, based on their family folder. 

We remain engaged with the CPS over Early Investigative Advice (EIA). This continues to guide our investigation and ensures this is thorough. 

EIA is not a charging decision. It does not decide guilt, determine whether someone will be prosecuted, or apply the CPS Full Code Test.

A moderation panel made up of independent senior investigators from the East Midlands, and chaired by the PIP4, meets regularly to assess randomly selected family folders and the decisions that have been made by the SIO.

This panel also considers any request from a family to review the decision made in respect of their family folder. This is called the Families’ Right to Review (FRR) process.

So far, the moderation panel has examined 33 randomly selected or FRR family folders.

The moderation panel has to date determined that the SIO has accurately and consistently applied the correct legal assessments.