Testimonials

Well done Donna for getting to the end of this long and difficult road.  You now deserve a break!  Best wishes. 

Consultant Obstetrician

I am ever so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside this brilliant multi-professional team and to be part of the journey finding answers for families and bringing system-wide change. Thanks to Donna for her excellent leadership. Congratulations on the completion of Report 2! 

Consultant in O and G NHS colleague, March 2022

Dear Donna,

It has been a privilege working with you and members of the review team.

Your enthusiasm, diligence and brilliant leadership is admirable and highly appreciated.

Best wishes

Consultant in O and G NHS colleague, March 2022

Donna, your sheer determination, focus and grit to improve maternity safety and support our families is inspirational, thank you. Yours in admiration.

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist NHS Colleague, March 2022

To Donna,

It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside you and the many wonderful midwives, doctors and admin staff, on what I hope will be the changing face of midwifery.  

Midwife colleague NHS, March 2022

Thank you for all your hard work and for allowing me to be a very small cog in a large machine.  It has been a privilege to work with you.  

Midwife colleague NHS, March 2022

It has been a privilege to work for the Ockenden review. Thank you Donna for your vision, kindness, organisation and commitment to the improvement in Maternity Services. 

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist NHS colleague, March 2022

Dear Donna

Thank for you for unrelenting hard work and dedication. The report and all you have done will hopefully improve the safety of maternity services in England for years to come. It has been a pleasure working on the review. 

Consultant Obstetrician and Maternal Medicine Specialist, March 2022

Thank you, Donna for all of your efforts and drive to really listen to women and their families experiences. It has been a privilege to be part of this.

Midwife colleague NHS, March 2022

Thank you for the opportunity to work with an amazing team under your brilliant leadership. For the opportunity to do families justice and to improve safety in maternity! Best wishes, Lauren. 

Midwife colleague NHS, March 2022

Dear Donna

Thank you for all your hard work, a fantastic voice and advocate for families and professionals.

Consultant Neonatologist NHS, March 2022

Dear Donna,

Your relentless pursuit of what you believe in is inspiring. I am honoured to have been part of your team.

Consultant Anaesthetist colleague NHS, March 2022

Just a little note to say an enormous thank you for the hard work you’ve all put into this report, and the work around it. 

I truly do think it will make a difference nationally, and we will be right behind you campaigning for it to happen. Thank you for your use of urgent language, and clear direction with what needs to happen – there can be no misinterpretation. 

Baby Lifeline

Really well done for championing safer maternity care – you are inspiring. Doing what is right rather that what is easy is challenging, especially where politics becomes involved

Consultant Obstetrician, December 2021

Thanks again for taking part in our maternity event on Wednesday! It was really well executed from start to finish and answered a great range of questions with brilliant insights from all of the speakers.

Just a quick note to say thank you so much for being on the panel. It was a brilliant session that covered all of the bases it needed to in the short space of time. It was thoroughly informative and engaging from start to finish.

Hi Donna, I wanted to write and thank you so much for your input on the webinar this evening. It was so nice and refreshing to hear a true reflection of the unbearable challenges in maternity services currently. I am praying your voice is and continues to be heard loud and clear to get us to a place we are so desperately in need of. I am so emotional listening to you, I hope there is a change quick enough to keep midwives and myself in a profession we/I love so much. Thank you!

Ms W, August 2021

Donna Ockenden it is so special and proud to know you and all you have achieved for all those families ?? you are inspirational xx 

Registered Nurse PE, May 2021

‘What you’re doing is nothing short of phenomenal – a massive undertaking for you and the team which is all executed so brilliantly.

 You are so supportive and appreciative of the administrative and clinical teams – I just wanted to say I hope someone’s telling you how proud you should be of all you’re doing for the families involved and for the future of maternity care ?’

Charity CEO, April 2021

‘Keep doing what you’re doing. Speaking truth to power is never easy, Your first report was a harrowing and hard read but I greatly respect you for the honesty and humanity you wove into the document. It oozed compassion and I believe that’s exactly what was needed. Take good care, keep well and certainly keep up the excellent work. ‘ 

NHS Colleague 2021

‘I felt compelled to write. I am the recently appointed lay chair of the Maternity Voices Partnership for XXXXX. There is, rightly so, a renewed focus on listening to service user voices following the publication of your report into maternity services. I felt both saddened and inspired by reading your publication and I feel that we have much to learn, and act on, from it.’  

MVP Chair

‘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, former NHS Colleague (Twitter, direct message)

‘I just wanted to touch base after today’s report. I know it must have been harrowing and deeply distressing. I think you’ve done brilliantly and I hope your recommendations are followed. Thank you for all you do for mothers and babies.’ 

GS, Trustee of Charity, Twitter 

‘I hope you’re keeping well. I can’t believe just how much work you must have put into this review and how difficult it must have been, but I hope you’re proud of it and the impact it has [and] the potential for women and their babies for generations to come. Seriously well done.’ 

CEO in the NHS February 2021, Twitter

‘Your important report is shaping our national and local priorities and has steeled our determination to deliver the very best care for women and babies across the country.’ 

CEO, NHS March 2021

I have nothing but admiration for the Maternity Review which has already achieved so much. It was very gratifying to see such a prompt response from Trusts around the country to Donna’s report just before Christmas. Not before time the NHS is waking up to the crucial role that maternity services play in the life of the nation.’

Consultant in O and G NHS , March 2021