Donna Ockenden
Nurse, Midwife and Community Activist
Donna Ockenden FRSA, Hon D.Litt and Hon D.Sci is a nurse, a midwife and community activist. She has more than 35 years’ experience within a variety of health settings both in the UK and internationally.
In 2017 Donna was appointed to chair the Independent review into Maternity Services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, the final report of which was published in spring 2022. Unusually, the then Government accepted in full all the findings of the report on the day of publication and significant work was commenced on the Ockenden ‘blueprint’ for safe maternity care, with much more still needing to be done.
Donna has been a champion of patient safety in women’s and children’s health and maternity services – she works alongside a number of charities who are committed to ensuring the best and safest outcomes for mothers and their babies, including Baby Lifeline, SANDS, and MASIC.
In May 2022, Donna was appointed as the Chair of the Independent review into Maternity Services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which is expected to publish in June 2026.
“Families have to be at the heart of everything that we do. I am so pleased to be able to help the wonderful Footprints charity with their work in supporting families who experience a twin or triplet baby loss.”
Footprints Baby Loss are so pleased to have Donna as an Ambassador for our charity. It means so much to us to have her support and we know how important families are to Donna.
Paula Abramson
psychotherapist and training facilitator
Paula is a psychotherapist and training facilitator, specialising in providing bereavement support to families and training for professionals, following the death of a baby or child. Paula worked for more than ten years in the NHS, providing support to families and professionals. She was also appointed as bereavement counsellor for the Wandsworth Child Death Overview Panel, the first role of its kind in England.
Since 2008, Paula has designed and delivered training workshops for healthcare professionals whose work includes supporting families when a baby or child dies. Learning from families lived experience is always at the heart of Paula’s training.
Having worked within the public and charity sector, in 2019 Paula founded Bereavement Training International, a baby and infant loss consultancy. Working in partnership with some of the leading baby loss charities Paula’s consultancy delivers training to more than two thousand healthcare professionals each year.
Paula has informed national policy, shaped professional practice and provided transformative support to thousands of bereaved parents and professionals. She has consulted on many national baby loss projects and initiatives and has authored or co-authored papers and journal articles. In recent years she has guest featured on a number of baby loss podcasts.
In 2019 Paula joined the Ockenden Review Team to help set up and lead the Family Support Service for the Shrewsbury & Telford NHS Trust Maternity Review.
Paula has recently become a facilitator for the Teddy’s Wish Baby Loss Retreats for bereaved parents Baby Loss Bereavement Retreats | Teddy’s Wish and is also co-facilitating the Petals Reflective Practice and Wellness Weekends for Healthcare Professionals Reflective Practice Weekend – Petals Charity
Paula is an ambassador for Abigail’s Footsteps, a baby loss charity providing support to families and professionals, and a trustee for First Touch, the charity supporting the neonatal unit at St George’s Hospital.
