Trust not in maternity review due to police probe

The chair of a national review into maternity care has defended her decision not to include the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) in her inquiry.

An interim report shared by Baroness Amos on Tuesday found poor care and dirty wards were blighting England's maternity services.

The former UN diplomat announced the Shropshire trust had been removed from the scope of the review a few weeks ago, after discussions with police, prompting criticism from bereaved families.

But she told the BBC there were concerns including it would interfere with an ongoing police investigation.

"The police were very clear, in terms of timescale, it wasn't particularly helpful, because they would be interviewing many of the same people, but on a longer timescale," Baroness Amos said.

"It was very likely that we would have to hand over to them what evidence we gathered and would not be able to use it in our investigation."

Her interim National Maternity Review report found families continued to be let down by a lack of care and empathy, with poor and black mothers among those experiencing worse outcomes.

She said she had been "shocked" by what she describes as the repeated experiences of trauma endured by women and families.

West Mercia Police began its inquiry in maternity failings at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital in June 2020, while senior midwife Donna Ockenden was carrying out her review.

Ockenden's report later found catastrophic failings at SaTH may have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies.

Speaking in reaction to Baroness Amos's report, Ms Ockenden said the initial findings proved recommendations from previous inquiries had not been implemented.

She said everything she had read had been known about for at least ten years".

"We've known about workforce shortages, cultural issues, families not being listened to, staff under enormous pressure on the ground. That hasn't changed.

"Everything that we said in March 2022 was fully endorsed by government, and yet when I talk to directors of midwifery on the ground now, they are reporting to me that in many areas trust boards are less interested in maternity services than they were in those days in 2022."

Rhiannon Davies, who lost her daughter Kate in 2009 and helped spearhead the inquiry into Shrewsbury and Telford's failings, said she believes Baroness Amos "…is listening, and we must ensure her work leads to real, urgent change when she publishes her findings next year."

She also said the Baroness had been "generous with her time and engagement".

Ms Davies said: "She met with me one-to-one to explain her decision regarding the removal of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, and I found her to be thoughtful, open, and clear that she intends to determine what must change, and to report rapidly so the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce can act."

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who set up the review to drive "urgent improvements", said on Tuesday the systemic failures and preventable tragedies the interim report had identified could not be ignored.

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