Ockenden Maternity Review Calls For Action and Funding
Published in March 2022, Donna Ockenden's review of maternity services at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust found a litany of failings in care related to the deaths of more than sixty babies.
Maternity care failings at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Investigating almost 1600 clinical incidents, the review found that, between 2000 and 2019, poor-quality maternity care at the Trust influenced the deaths of over 60 babies as well as causing severe injuries to a significant number of additional babies and mothers.
The report identified repeated failures of both care and governance, with inadequate or absent investigation into serious incidents and a failure to learn from mistakes.
Furthermore, Donna Ockenden made the following observation: 'what is astounding is that for more than two decades these issues have not been challenged internally and the Trust was not held to account by external bodies. This highlights that systemic change is needed locally and nationally.'
Responding to the need for improvement
The report issued over sixty 'specific local actions for learning' for the NHS Trust, such as improving the management of patient safety, plus fifteen 'immediate and essential actions' for all maternity services across England.
The fifteen NHS-wide actions include addressing the following areas fundamental to the delivery of safe maternity services and a culture of learning:
- Financing a safe maternity workforce
- Essential action on training
- Maintaining a clear escalation and mitigation policy when agreed staffing levels are not met
- Essential roles for Trust Boards in oversight of maternity services
- Meaningful incident investigations with family and staff engagement
- Mandatory joint learning across all care settings when a mother dies
- Care of mothers with complex and multiple pregnancies
- Introduction of recommendations of 2019 Neonatal Critical Care Review
- Improving post-natal care
- Care of bereaved families
Claiming compensation for negligent medical care
If a patient suffers due to substandard medical care, the law entitles them to compensation. In addition to recognising their pain and suffering, a successful compensation claim addresses any financial losses incurred by the patient or their loved ones, which would not have been experienced but for the medical negligence. For example, if a patient experiences significant loss of income or requires personal care as a result of their medical negligence, this would be taken into account as part of a compensation claim.
Legal advice
If you or a loved one are struggling with the impact of a significant failing in medical care, contact Glynns Solicitors to discuss the suitability of making a claim for compensation.
We are a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with extensive expertise in this complex field of law. Contact us today to talk to a specialist solicitor about your situation.
Contact us today to discuss the suitability of making a claim for compensation for your substandard maternity care.
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