Mortuary Scandal Deepens
Police Arrest Two Men in Nottingham Over Alleged Mortuary Misconduct and Human Tissue Act Breaches
Key Points
Reporting ahead of the Ockenden review says NUH senior leaders “downgraded nurse failings over a decade” to avoid scrutiny by regulators, coroners and families, and that an “institutional cover-up” of baby deaths is expected to be described. It also reports that Ockenden spoke to more than 800 staff, with it “understood” that “half of the 60 former senior executives and directors she approached refused to answer questions about their role”.
NUH’s mortuary services (at both Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital) are stated to operate under a licence provided by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), a key detail in explaining why the Human Tissue Act breaches are central to the police enforcement action.
Nottinghamshire Police said families wishing to speak with officers could contact Operation Perth directly via a dedicated number and email: “call 0115 8445002 or email OPPerth@Notts.Police.uk”, and that “extensive support” remains available through the Operation Perth page on the police website.
The Operation Perth investigation was launched in April 2024 and is described as running separately to the independent maternity review led by Donna Ockenden (due to report on 24 June).
The Independent reports that NUH has “already paid out millions of pounds in compensation and fines after being prosecuted for poor care”, providing additional context on the trust’s prior enforcement and financial consequences.
Nottinghamshire Police have arrested two men, aged 55 and 59, over alleged misconduct at the mortuary services of Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust, the trust at the centre of the NHS's largest ever maternity inquiry. The Guardian reported that officers found suspected breaches of the Human Tissue Act — the law governing how human remains are stored and handled — at both Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital.
The arrests, made under Operation Perth — the criminal investigation launched in April 2024 — come just 48 hours before Donna Ockenden publishes her independent review of NUH maternity care on June 24. That review is expected to find that poor care contributed to hundreds of avoidable deaths, stillbirths, and cases of severe brain injury, according to ITV News.
What the Mortuary Arrests Actually Mean
The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licences NUH to run its mortuaries. The HTA was created after the Alder Hey organ retention scandal to make sure hospitals handle human remains with proper consent. Police say the two arrested men are suspected of "misconduct in a public office" — a serious criminal charge — and of breaking HTA regulations through how the mortuaries were managed and run, ITV News reported.
Because Operation Perth is a maternity-focused inquiry, the arrests raise questions about how deceased infants and fetuses may have been handled at NUH facilities. Police said they are "particularly mindful" of the distress this causes families. Officers have already contacted those identified as directly affected. Families can also reach the Operation Perth team on 0115 8445002 or at OPPerth@Notts.Police.uk, The Daily Mail reported.
Ockenden Review Expected to Describe Institutional Cover-Up
Reporting ahead of the June 24 publication paints a damning picture of NUH leadership. Senior figures are accused of "downgrading nurse failings over a decade" to avoid scrutiny from regulators, coroners, and families. An "institutional cover-up" of baby deaths is expected to be named directly in the final report, according to AOL News.
Ockenden spoke to more than 800 current and former staff. Of the 60 former senior executives and directors she approached, roughly half refused to answer questions about their role, Yahoo News reported. The review covers around 2,500 families and spans care provided between April 2012 and May 2025.
A Trust With a Long Record of Fines and Failed Oversight
NUH is no stranger to financial penalties. In February 2025, the Care Quality Commission fined the trust a record £1.6 million after prosecuting it for the deaths of three babies — Adele O'Sullivan, Kahlani Rawson, and Quinn Parker. The Independent reported that NUH has "already paid out millions of pounds in compensation and fines after being prosecuted for poor care."
Ninety-six midwives and nurses are currently under review by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. A further 62 doctors are being assessed by the General Medical Council. Observers expect dozens of practitioners to be struck off after the Ockenden report lands, according to The Guardian.
What Comes Next as Criminal Pressure Mounts
Operation Perth is still investigating potential corporate manslaughter — a far harder charge to prove than misconduct in a public office. The mortuary arrests suggest police are building individual accountability cases alongside the broader inquiry. Current NUH CEO Anthony May has publicly apologised, saying, "We failed [families], and for that I am sincerely sorry." But families remain cautious, The Daily Mail reported.
A separate national review of UK maternity services, led by Baroness Valerie Amos, is due on June 30. MPs are also calling for a full statutory public inquiry into maternity care across England. The Nottingham case, long framed as a local failure, is now seen by many as a symptom of a system-wide problem, according to ITV News.
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