Families 'incredibly concerned' at rise in maternity cases under review
Families who say they have suffered from failings in maternity care at Shropshire's main hospitals have become 'incredibly concerned' that hundreds more cases of alleged poor care are being reviewed, their lawyers have said.
The independent inquiry, led by Donna Ockenden, is now looking at 1,862 cases connected with the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The figure has climbed by nearly 500 in the space of a few months and has grown considerably since the inquiry was launched in 2017 by then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have been instructed by a number of families to investigate the maternity care they received from the trust.
They say the latest news regarding the rise in cases has led to families raising further questions.
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Tim Annett, one of its legal experts who is supporting families, said: “Our clients are incredibly concerned by the announcement that the Ockenden review has deemed it appropriate to expand the number of cases it’s investigating to nearly 1,900.
"While we welcome the serious nature in which the review is being conducted, understandably, our clients have further questions they need answering.
Public confidence
“These concerns have been heightened by NHS Improvement’s separate report which found the hospital trust delayed publication of an investigation by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists amid fears of the public reaction to the findings.
“Sadly when things go wrong it’s vital that full and transparent investigations are conducted to uphold public confidence in the healthcare system.
“We call on the hospital trust to ensure it honours its own promise to work with the Ockenden review to ensure that lessons are learned.
“It’s vital that families receive the care and support they may need to get through this difficult time.”
The inquiry was launched following concerns raised by Rhiannon and Richard Stanton Davies, whose daughter Kate died shortly after birth in 2009, and Kayleigh and Colin Griffiths, whose daughter Pippa died shortly after birth in 2016.
West Mercia Police is also looking into maternity care at the trust as part of a criminal investigation.
Earlier this week, Louise Barnett, chief executive of SaTH, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, apologised in an open letter and said staff were committed to listening to families and working with the Ockenden review to ensure lessons are learned.
Any further concerns about maternity care will now need to be referred to officials at the trust, rather than the maternity review team.
People can email sath.maternitycare@nhs.net or call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 01952 641222.
