Inspectors widen review into troubled NHS maternity unit where dozens of babies and mothers are feared to have died needlessly for the THIRD time as 215 families have now come forward
- Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust is the subject of a major probe by inspectors
- The trust was last week placed into special measures after recommendations
- When the review started last year, it was only examining 23 incidents
A review into a scandal-hit maternity unit has been widened to include more than 200 families.
Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust is the subject of a major probe over concerns that dozens of babies and mothers died needlessly.
The trust was last week placed into special measures following concerns about patient safety raised by the watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
There are fears the review could reveal one of the biggest maternity services scandals in the history of the health service.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it was taking action at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust following inspections at its maternity and emergency departments
When the review, led by senior independent midwife Donna Ockenden, started last year, it was examining only 23 incidents.
The review, dating between 1998 and 2017, was widened for the first time in August, with 40 alleged cases of maternal failings.
But in September it emerged the review – initially meant to report back this autumn – involved at least 104 families whose cases span 20 years.
And now a total of 215 families have come forward alleging errors in the trust’s maternity unit, most of which are related to death or serious harm.
Ms Ockenden will consider these families’ stories as she investigates how the unit has been run over the past 20 years.
Matt Hancock, Health and Social Care Secretary, said all ‘potential’ cases should be looked at, when asked about the situation in September.
Mr Hancock took over in July from his predecessor Jeremy Hunt – who launched the initial review into the troubled maternity unit.
Dr Kathy McLean, from NHS Improvement, which is overseeing the review, also said every case will be reviewed, the BBC reports.
She said: ‘Every possible case has and will be taken into account as part of the investigation, to help ensure that lessons are learnt.’
NHS Improvement announced on November 8 it had placed the hospital in special measures ‘for quality reasons’, saying ‘patient care could be at risk’.
The special measures mean the hospital will be given extra support and funding to improve its services, and it will be more closely watched by NHS officials.
It also has an improvement programme in place, a new improvement director and safety assurance group, and will be given help to hire more staff.
A number of families claim their babies died needlessly because midwives missed treatable infections or complications at the trust in the West Midlands.
Other women claim they were forced to have natural labours without the use of caesareans or forceps.
Approximately 5,000 women a year give birth in the trust’s maternity services, which include a main department and five smaller midwife-led units.
A damning report published in July found the units to be severely understaffed with an average of five midwives off sick each day.
The Care Quality Commission labelled the trust as a whole ‘requires improvement’ – its second lowest rating – after a report in August 2017.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists warned of a reluctance among managers to investigate errors or learn from their mistakes.