Basildon maternity workers receive £735,000 after unsafe gas exposure

More than 120 maternity workers at Basildon Hospital have received compensation totalling £735,000 after being exposed to dangerous levels of nitrous oxide at work.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust settled claims brought by 121 staff, including 85 midwives, who reported symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, anxiety and “brain fog”. The Royal College of Midwives described it as the largest group legal action brought by midwives in the UK.

Nitrous oxide is a major component of Entonox, commonly known as gas and air, which is routinely used to relieve pain during labour. It remains safe for women giving birth when administered correctly; the case concerned repeated occupational exposure caused by inadequate ventilation and leaking equipment.

An internal report found some staff had been exposed to levels up to 30 times the legal workplace limit between 2021 and 2023. Workers were also not informed for 16 months about test results showing that safety thresholds had been breached.

The trust admitted that staff had been exposed to dangerously high concentrations of the gas and acknowledged that it should have acted more quickly. It has apologised, installed equipment to remove waste gas and strengthened the monitoring of medical gases across the maternity unit.

The Royal College of Midwives called the settlement a landmark moment and said it should alert every NHS employer to the importance of protecting maternity staff. The union has written to trusts across England about the risks and worked with the Health and Safety Executive to improve guidance on the safe use of Entonox.

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