Testimonials

‘Dear Donna,

 I am writing on behalf of members, past and present, of the Bereavement Support Team at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust to express our deepest admiration for your well-received “Ockenden Report”.  

To have taken on that piece of work must have been very challenging indeed; we noted your ready admission of the pain you experienced personally in that necessary task of listening to the women and their families who had suffered so greatly.

We all recall with great thanks your years at Portsmouth: the encouragement you gave … in exploring the possibilities of establishing a thorough and ambitious training programme. Your enthusiastic backing, plus the very necessary funding, made so much possible – including making available …[external]  expertise. The Training Courses eventually grew to include nurses from Gynae, NICU and Ancillary staff working in all areas. There was even a slot in the Divisional Induction Programme for Junior Doctors, which was well-received. We wish you every success in taking your work forward – knowing that you are absolutely the right person for such an important work not only in Shrewsbury but throughout England. You have our hearts with you!’

NHS Chaplain

Hi Donna, I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the excellent report. Heartbreaking though it is, I think we will finally see real action taken as a result of the work you and your team are doing. And that gives me hope for the future – a good place to end this challenging year. Warmest wishes’

Midwife Colleague NHS

‘Dear Donna, 
With the news of the Interim Maternity Report at SaTH last week I wanted to drop you a line. I know it has been an enormous job and one which I understand became larger and larger over time. But I am also aware of what an incredibly emotional task it must have been for you, listening to families concerns, and moreover concerns which they felt had not been listened to previously.  I wanted you know that I have often thought of you.’ 

Former Midwife colleague, London December 2020

‘Stellar input to the select committee Donna – your commitment to the families shines though so clearly’

CEO, Charity December 2020

‘Dear Donna,
You have done well with Shrewsbury and Telford Maternity investigation. …..So many families have suffered. Congratulations on doing so much to expose this all.’

Retired Consultant colleague, London January 2021

‘Donna, I’m sure you’ve heard this from very many people – but I just wanted to thank you for the report from you and your team. It’s honest and real. It also, for the very first time, puts the voices of women and families centre stage. They’ve been disregarded for so long, and those individual stories are extraordinarily powerful…. at least on maternity, that culture of denial has been broken, and you’ve done that. Congratulations.‘

Local resident, Shropshire

‘Hi Donna,

 I just wanted to drop you a personal note to congratulate you on the work you and the team have done on publication of the emerging findings.  

 There was, as you know a great deal of media coverage yesterday.  I watched the Channel 4 news coverage, which was extensive, with my family and we were all moved by the piece.  

 The coverage yesterday brought home to me what a difficult and important job you are doing.’

Colleague, legal services December 2020

‘Dear Donna,

I just wanted to personally write to you and say thank you for all of your dedication and hard work in undertaking the Ockenden review. You are a role model for our profession and I sincerely hope there will be lasting changes following your review.

I can only imagine how sad and difficult it has been to hear from the bereaved families time and time again. So I wanted to let you know that some of us really are trying and are committed to high quality care and patient safety.

Thank you again and all the best with the rest of the review.’

Consultant Midwife, London January 2021

‘Dear Donna

Well done with the release of the report which is shocking to read, but will help the families I believe. I was horrified by the section on lack of communication skills and disappointed by the poor clinical practice during my watch. As you say implementation is the challenge, maybe some of the recommendations need to be bound up in legal requirements, with very tight accountability.

Good move to have a non exec on the board with responsibility for women and children.

I believe that your work invites much self analysis by both the RCOG and RCM with other professional groups, but such analysis must involve listening to women who use the service for the whole of NHS including Scotland!’ 

Retired NHS consultant December 2021

‘Dear Donna

It gave me great pleasure to watch the news tonight and see you leading the review at Shrewsbury.

I know your professionalism and thoroughness from our dealings locally. You are well placed to be conducting such an important review.’ – Dr H, GP colleague December 2021

‘Today has been momentous for everyone but especially you as the Chair of the review. I feel immensely proud to be a part of the team and hope to make a difference. Thank you once again for the opportunity!’

Midwife and team member – The Maternity review December 2021

‘Dear Donna

I have today read your Report online and wanted to say to you personally that I hope it will eventually prove to be a milestone in the way Maternity Services are managed in the UK.

Please pass on my congratulations to the team; they should be proud that what they are doing will make a real difference.’  – Former colleague

‘Just to say I have been thinking of you during this…enquiry. You have done an amazing job and will truly bring much needed action to improve maternity care to help women at long last, Take care.’

Midwife G, NHS January 2021

‘Hello Donna

I just wanted to say well done.  Your report is so clear and well considered. 

I think and hope it will make a significant difference and improve standards for future pregnancies and births and in time restore trust in the hospitals in our community.

With much respect for your achievement in leading your team in an investigation that will almost certainly save lives.’

Colleague, legal services December 2020

‘Dear Donna,

I watched you on zoom this morning, outlining your very clear and robust interim report for SaTH. I felt very emotional because of the loss of my 3 babies (in terrible circumstances), and also frustrated that decades later so much has to be improved.

Thank you for everything you do Donna – you have given hope to many. Particularly those poor parents and families.’

CEO, Charity

I want you to know what an extraordinary influence you’ve had…My commitment to meaningful quality improvement… my understanding of leadership and communication based on your example, and my self-confidence in my capability.

Your incredible professionalism, care and public speaking skills put us at ease immediately and I’ve watched in awe as you deliver the same to patients and colleagues alike on the NUH review and in the public eye. 

Thanks so much for sorting out Donna to talk to me, I thought she was brilliant.