Beyond the Statutory Box with Robin Hood

In this episode of Food for Thought Radio, I round up a difficult week of maternity headlines across the UK and Ireland—from historic legal settlements and reported serious adverse events to unacceptable delays for induction of labour—and reflect on what these stories mean for families, midwives and services. We also look ahead to the imminent Nottingham maternity review by Donna Ockenden and the subsequent rapid review across multiple trusts, and I reiterate my ongoing commitment to the cases of Elizabeth Dixon and baby Belle. My guest “Robin Hood” joins me to discuss how fear, opaque corporate structures and professional regulation intersect with everyday midwifery practice: fitness‑to‑practise pressures, legal threats, data protection claims, and the importance of asserting rights, due process and proper jurisdiction. We finish with practical encouragement for midwives to keep learning and supporting one another, and for mothers and fathers to organise, document, and seek appropriate legal and human‑rights avenues when harm is alleged.'Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)': https://www.nmc.org.uk/'Care Quality Commission (CQC)': https://www.cqc.org.uk/'Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust – Maternity': https://www.nuh.nhs.uk/maternity'Donna Ockenden – Nottingham Maternity Review (official site)': https://www.donnaockenden.com/nottingham-review/'Independent Investigation into the Death of Elizabeth Dixon (UK Government publication)': https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-investigation-into-the-death-of-elizabeth-dixon'Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT)': https://www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk/'Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital (Dublin)': https://www.coombe.ie/'Horton General Hospital, Banbury (Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)': https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/hospitals/horton/'European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)': https://www.echr.coe.int/'Geneva Conventions – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)': https://www.icrc.org/en/war-and-law/treaties-customary-law/geneva-conventions'United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR)': https://www.ohchr.org/'Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)': https://www.sra.org.uk/'Bevan Brittan LLP': https://www.bevanbrittan.com/'HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS)': https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service'Royal College of Midwives (RCM)': https://www.rcm.org.uk/'NHS England': https://www.nhs.uk/'Herald Scotland (news outlet referenced)': https://www.heraldscotland.com/