Shropshire and Leeds hospitals dropped from national maternity review
Andy GiddingsWest Midlands
BBCTwo UK NHS trusts have been excluded from a review of maternity failures led by Baroness Valerie Amos.
News trusts in Shropshire and Leeds fell after the government said it would carry out rapid investigations into “failures in the system” and confirmed these were two of 14 failures included last month.
But Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) withdrew “following discussions with West Mercia Police about the details and schedule of the operation”. [an] ongoing investigation“. The decision shocked the families.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trustseparate birth study “It was announced by the Secretary of State,” the review body said on Monday.
The national inquiry is expected to urgently look at the worst-performing maternity and neonatal services in the country and report back by December.
in 2022 A review of maternity services in ShropshireThe team, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, concluded that the catastrophic failures could have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies, nine mothers and life-changing injuries to other babies.
West Mercia Police began its own investigation in 2020 to investigate whether there was evidence to support a criminal case against the trust or anyone involved.
Earlier this year the force announced the launch of interviewing current and former staff members.
‘I was absolutely horrified’
Charlotte Cheshire, from Newport in Shropshire, has a son who was left severely disabled by birth problems in the county.
He said he was “absolutely horrified” to hear SaTH had been excluded from the review.
He learned of the decision when a letter was sent to some parents on Tuesday.
He explained that the decision to exclude Shropshire and Leeds from the review would mean families’ stories would not be heard.
“I cannot understand how Baroness Amos and her team are likely to get to the bottom of the problems which could improve the progress of maternity care,” Ms Cheshire said.
