Shropshire and Leeds hospitals dropped from national maternity review

Two NHS trusts have been removed from a review of maternity failings across England.

Trusts in Shropshire and Leeds have been dropped from the government’s rapid reviews of “failures in the system”, after it was confirmed last month they were two of 14 trusts to be looked at.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) was removed after “discussions with West Mercia Police about the detail and schedule of [an] ongoing investigation“. The decision has left families in the county shocked.

The news Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTH) is no longer included in the review comes after a “separate maternity inquiry announced by the Secretary of State” on Monday, officials said.

The national inquiry is due to urgently look at the worst-performing maternity and neonatal services in the country and to report back by December.

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan said she was concerned how “a review into maternity care in the UK doesn’t think it can learn from one of the most in-depth investigations into failings at a maternity unit over decades”.

In Leeds, a BBC investigation found that the deaths at LTH of at least 56 babies and two mothers over the past five years may have been preventable.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he hoped the Leeds-focused inquiry, announced on Monday, would help families learn the truth about what went wrong in their care.

The trust’s maternity units were downgraded from “good” to “inadequate” earlier this year, after unannounced inspections raised concerns that women and babies were “at risk of avoidable harm”.

In a statement issued at the time, the trust told the BBC it was already “taking significant steps to address improvements”.

In 2022, a review of maternity services in Shropshire, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, concluded catastrophic failures may have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies, nine mothers and left other infants with life-changing injuries.

West Mercia Police began its own investigation in 2020, to explore whether there was evidence to support a criminal case against the trust or any individuals involved. The BBC has asked the force for comment.

Earlier this year, the force announced it had started interviewing current and former members of staff.

Charlotte Cheshire, of Newport in Shropshire, has a son who was left severely disabled because of maternity failings in the county.

She said she was “absolutely horrified” to hear SaTH had been removed from the review.

She learned of the decision when a letter was sent to some parents on Tuesday.

The decision to exclude Shropshire and Leeds from the review would mean stories from families would not be heard, she explained.

“I cannot see how there is any possibility of Baroness Amos and her team actually getting to the bottom of the issues that could improve maternity care going forward,” Ms Cheshire said.

Morgan, who is also the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, said: “I am quite concerned that a review into maternity care in the UK doesn’t think it can learn from one of the most in-depth investigations into failings at a maternity unit over decades.

“I also think it’s quite important that the families that were affected have their input.

“They were the first to come to light, they’ve been through incredible tragedy and trauma and I think their experience is relevant to that inquiry.”