Shropshire maternity improvements to be monitored by new 'family board', reveals expert Donna Ockenden
A new family board will oversee progress on improvements to maternity services at Shropshire's hospitals.
The board will provide families affected by maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) the chance to monitor progress following the findings of the Ockenden Inquiry in 2022.
The investigation, led by maternity expert Donna Ockenden, confirmed years of failings in maternity care at SaTH.
It concluded there were more than 200 cases where mothers died, where babies were stillborn, or there was neonatal death, that had significant or major concerns – and where different care would have resulted in a different outcome.
As part of the final report Mrs Ockenden issued a series of immediate and essential actions - for improvements in maternity at SaTH specifically, and across the country.
Mrs Ockenden said the new family board, which will meet for the first time in the New Year, is being created because families involved in the inquiry felt they had not been informed of progress following the final report.
Mrs Ockenden also revealed that independent and trusted colleagues outside of Shropshire would be tasked with oversight on SaTH's progress.
She said: "I was asked by the trust and NHS England, last year actually, to come back to Shropshire to act as an independent bridge between the trust and local communities, which would help families, because I'm a known and trusted voice for so many families, and would help the trust themselves, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, in their ongoing journey of maternity improvement."
