Bereaved parents disappointed in maternity report

A couple whose son was stillborn say they have little confidence a review into maternity services in England will address "the whole systemic failure" of the NHS.

Tom and Ewa Hender, from Staffordshire, whose son Aubrey was stillborn at the former City Hospital in Birmingham in 2022, said they felt "disappointed" after seeing an interim report on Baroness Amos's maternity care review.

The report, published this week, found maternity services across the country were failing "too many" families.

A boss at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust said the trust apologised to all families who had not received the care they deserved.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has promised to act on Baroness Amos's final recommendations that are due to be released in April.

The review highlighted six areas of concern, including staffing, discrimination, poor working relationships between clinicians, a lack of transparency and outdated buildings.

Ewa Hender said the interim findings did not offer reassurance, ahead of Baroness Amos's full report, which is due later in the spring.

"I feel a little bit confused and disappointed," she said. "It didn't give me almost any useful or new information.

"I don't feel any confidence in the fact that the whole systemic failure will be addressed."

The Henders' son Aubrey was stillborn at 36 weeks and five days at the City Hospital, now the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

Because Aubrey was stillborn two days before the 37-week threshold for any independent investigation to be held, they were not entitled to one.

Tom Hender said he was concerned the 37-week gestational limit would remain in place after the review and be applied to any new coronial oversight.

"The chair acknowledges [the limit] in her text, but ultimately it's still in the terms of reference," he said.

"And I worry that the Ministry of Justice, which has a statutory duty to report on coronial involvement, will rely on the Amos findings."

Diane Wake, group chief executive officer for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said the trust was taking the findings of the report "extremely seriously".

"We are committed to providing safer care, better experiences, and a maternity service our community can have confidence in," she said.

"We know trust has to be earned. We're listening, we're learning, and we're making changes every day."

Wake added: "While the report is national in scope, the themes it raises resonate with the challenges we know exist within maternity and neonatal services everywhere.

"We are committed to examining our own services in light of this report, listening to women and families, and working closely with our maternity and neonatal teams to ensure that care is consistently safe, compassionate, and equitable."

Wake said the trust had begun strengthening its leadership structures, investing in its workforce and improving the culture within its services.

"But this report makes clear that more must be done — and done with pace," she said.

The couple have previously called for a full statutory public inquiry into maternity services, but feel the interim report draws no new conclusions.

Ewa Hender said: "It feels we keep postponing creating any recommendations or postponing proper action. I would like to see proper tangible action."

In the report, Baroness Amos said it was "clear" from conversations with women, families and staff that maternity and neonatal services were "failing too many women, babies, families and staff".

Tom Hender has previously said that bereaved families did not feel listened to by the review.

"The engagement that we have had hasn't listened to the families that I know and taken on board what they've input," he said.

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