Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust: Ockenden Review to release emerging findings report on maternity care

Posted: 30/11/2020

Donna Ockenden, the midwifery expert charged with carrying out the independent review of maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust (SaTH), confirmed this week that 10 December 2020 is the provisional date for release of the report on maternity services at the trust. This will be an emerging findings report and will include ‘Essential and Immediate Actions’ which are considered necessary to ensure safe practice in maternity wards at SaTH and which can also be implemented in maternity services elsewhere.

Earlier this year, the clinical negligence team at Penningtons Manches Cooper wrote an article which sets out the timeline of the investigation into care at SaTH from its inception (see here for the article). The timeline demonstrated that when concerns were initially raised about maternity care at the trust, only 23 families were involved - this number grew to 1862 as at July 2020. The emerging findings report will be eagerly awaited by families that have or are currently receiving care at the trust, as well as the medical professionals past and present working in maternity services at SaTH.

News of the anticipated report follows the positive announcement in August 2020 that a New Improvement Alliance has been set up for patients in Shropshire to provide targeted support to improve services for patients at SaTH. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB), a leading teaching hospital, has entered into the alliance with SaTH to provide leadership expertise that will support the trust to offer clinically safe and sustainable patient services. This will be reassuring for current and future patients, but those who have been left with questions about historic care will, most likely, be interested to hear what the investigation has identified regarding the previous failings.

Medical errors at birth can result in brain injury, cerebral palsy and lifelong disability. Legal claims for such injuries and following stillbirth may include compensation for parents and access to specialist support.

If you are concerned about care you received at SaTH and would like to discuss these concerns with an experienced solicitor, please contact a member of the clinical negligence team for an initial, without obligation consultation.

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