A group of families affected by serious birth injuries, believed to have been preventable, have this week successfully received confirmation that an independent review into the maternity care delivered in Leeds will be launched.
Health secretary Wes Streeting announced the review following years of campaigning by local families who await the details of the investigation.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected the maternity services delivered at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust earlier this year with a finding that the care provided to mothers and babies was inadequate.
This adds to a growing list of hospitals failing to provide safe maternity care with an ongoing review in Nottingham, led by midwife Donna Ockenden, and a national review initially investigating 14 hospitals – which also includes Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The families involved in the campaigning are calling for the police to separately investigate allegedly avoidable serious incidents – including those leading to the death of babies.
A blame culture has been highlighted with staff scared to raise concerns. The Trust, responsible for the maternity services delivered at the Leeds General Infirmary and the St James’s University Hospital, was found to have breached a number of regulations by the CQC.
The failings found included:
- Risk management
- Providing a safe environment
- Infection prevention and control
- Medicines management
- Adequate staffing
The review will follow high profile maternity reviews in Morecambe Bay, led by Dr Bill Kirkup; Shropshire, led by Donna Ockenden; and East Kent, also led by Dr Bill Kirkup.
Time will tell whether the findings of the investigation will result in meaningful change to prevent further serious maternity incidents and justice for the families for whom it is too late.