Donna Ockenden Charges NHS England Up to £26,000 Monthly for Leading Nottingham Maternity Review
Donna Ockenden has been chairing the Nottingham maternity review for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust since 2022, charging NHS England up to £26,000 per month for her independent advice via her company. This charge applies solely to the provision of independent advice, with other inquiry expenses billed separately to NHS England.
Since January 2024, her payment arrangement shifted from being on the NHS England payroll to invoicing through her limited company, DO Limited, allowing larger monthly invoices. Her daily rate is £850 for 7.5 hours of work. Monthly invoices, including expenses and the clinical review team costs, can exceed £300,000 in some months. Specific advisory fees in 2024 were £22,669.50 in March, £20,626.67 in April, £22,329.50 in May, £20,034.60 in June, and £26,069.50 in July.
Ockenden confirmed these payment details are correct and noted her long working hours, pledging to dedicate the vast majority of her time to the review until its expected publication in June 2026 while coordinating a large clinical team. Her tax arrangement through DO Limited balances salary and dividends to manage tax and national insurance obligations.
Her fees notably exceed the UK weekly median wage of £766.60, underscoring the substantial costs associated with maternity and neonatal reviews in the NHS.
Baroness Amos' interim report highlighted ongoing struggles within England's maternity and neonatal care services to provide safe and reliable care despite numerous investigations since 2015.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that Ockenden will not lead the Leeds maternity review due to her existing commitments. He emphasized the importance of building a broader team to support government and NHS efforts but expressed high regard for Ockenden’s significant impact in maternity services.
