Maternity services have been in the news recently but not for the right reasons. The recent BBC Panorama programme, ‘Maternity Scandal: Fighting for the Truth,’ reported on the failures of maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. The timing of the programme was critical because, next month, the Ockenden report into investigations of new-born, infant and maternal harm at the Trust, will be published.
More than 2000 cases were uncovered
The situation at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has been well documented. What started as an initial investigation into 23 cases soon escalated into more than 1800 cases between 2000 and 2019. We covered it in a blog last January, but it was in 2017 when the families of those affected wrote to the then health secretary Jeremy Hunt, asking him to order an investigation, that things started to move along. Mr Hunt agreed to an independent review and appointed senior midwife Donna Ockenden to take the lead.
An interim report, published in December 2020, noted that the Trust failed to investigate after something went wrong or conducted its own inquiry in many cases. It also flagged up the fact that the systems it used sat outside any national framework. This meant that fewer incidents were reported to NHS regulators, limiting the opportunity to learn lessons.
Better safety for mothers’ and babies
At this stage we are unsure exactly what the report will contain, but we look forward to seeing recommendations to improve safety, whilst care for mothers and babies is strengthened and implemented at the Trust and across the wider maternity system in England. The report will also hopefully try to avoid the repetition of past mistakes.
Kiran Jalota, Head of Medical Negligence and Personal Injury, said, “The documentary did not make for easy watching. It was extremely harrowing as it revealed how a failure to listen and learn, lack of care and compassion, a toxic blame culture, incompetent management and missed opportunities to make changes, led to unnecessary harm and suffering to both mothers and babies.”
Meaningful action
Kiran continued, “Since the publication of the interim Ockenden report, we have seen some satisfactory progress, thanks to nearly £100m investment in maternity services in England. But it’s not all about money, more needs to be done to boost resourcing and training. Whilst the Trust has apologised, this needs to be accompanied by clear and meaningful action so that all mothers and their families can expect safe, effective, reliable and high-quality maternity services as standard.”
Kiran concluded, “On a personal note, I want to salute the courage of everyone who came forward to talk about their experiences. Even when they were in pain and suffering from unimaginable loss, they shared their stories in the hope that their fight for justice would benefit others in years to come.” If you would like to watch the Panorama programme, please click here.”
Free initial meeting for support and advice
At Alsters Kelley, our approach is personal, sensitive, and caring. We understand you may have already suffered harm in the hands of those you put your trust in, which is why we put you at the heart of everything we do.
If you have any concerns about the treatment either you and your baby received and would like help or advice, please contact Kiran Jalota on 01926 356030 or email kiran.jalota@alsterskelley.com
Call now 01926 356 030 to arrange a free consultation with one of our experienced medical negligence lawyers at any of our six offices.
You can also join us at our Medical Negligence free drop-in sessions every third Wednesday of the month from our Nuneaton office.