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Midwife Inquiry Chair Charges £26k Monthly
24 Dec
Summary
- The midwife leading a major NHS maternity inquiry charges up to £26,000 monthly.
- Her company can invoice over £300,000 monthly for the inquiry's wider costs.
- Her daily rate exceeds the current weekly median wage.
The midwife spearheading the most extensive inquiry into NHS maternity failings is incurring substantial costs for taxpayers, with monthly charges reaching up to £26,000. Donna Ockenden, who has led the investigation into Nottingham university hospitals NHS trust since 2022, charges £850 for every 7.5 hours worked through her company, Donna Ockenden Ltd, which is paid by NHS England.
When factoring in all associated expenses, including staffing and administrative teams, the total monthly invoices from Donna Ockenden Ltd can exceed £300,000. Ms. Ockenden stated that these fees cover extensive hours and include a profit element to manage miscellaneous costs not directly billed to NHS England. The contractual arrangement, which shifted from direct payment by NHS England to her company in January 2024, also saw a 13% increase in her daily rate.
These escalating costs underscore the significant financial investment in reviews of NHS services. Ockenden has previously been commended for her work on inquiries in Shrewsbury and Telford and has expressed interest in leading similar investigations into Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust and potentially University Hospitals Sussex NHS trust. However, due to her extensive commitments, she was recently not selected to chair the latter inquiry.
