Shropshire maternity scandal: Dozens seek legal advice after report

A law firm said it has been approached by more than 50 people after a report found major failings in maternity care.

The Ockenden Report concluded repeated failures at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) led to the deaths of hundreds of babies.

Lanyon Bowdler LLP said it is already dealing with 103 claims over maternity care at the trust.

Beth Heath, from the firm, said many families still had unanswered questions.

The inquiry, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, was first launched in 2017 to examine a cluster of 23 cases, but was expanded to look at almost 1,600 concerns over care over two decades.

It found catastrophic failures at the hospital trust may have led to the deaths of 201 babies and nine mothers, with other babies left with serious injuries.

Among its key findings were that there was a culture where mistakes were not investigated, parents were not listened to and the trust failed to learn from its mistakes.

It also found a culture of bullying, anxiety and fear of speaking out among staff "that persisted to the current time".

Mrs Heath, head of the clinical negligence department at the Shropshire-based firm, said it was a "heartbreaking read".

She said her clients have "mixed feelings" following the publication, including relief the inquiry was complete as well as shock and anger at the scale of the failings.

"A lot of these families were led to believe they were isolated incidents and it is very clear that is not the case," she said.

She said the families will now receive individual feedback in the coming months about their case from Ms Ockenden.

"I think a lot of the families who were part of the Donna Ockenden Review hoped there might be recourse...which is obviously not the case, perhaps they have still got a lot of unanswered questions and I think that is potentially why they are coming to us at this point in time."

Mrs Heath said she is getting new cases emerging from 2020 and 2021 which show "exactly the same mistakes that we have seen time and time again over the years".

Eleanor Giblin, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell solicitors, said it has also received "worrying first-hand accounts" since the publication of the report from families not only at the Shropshire trust, but others nationally.

"We're now investigating these concerns, which include birth injuries, and are supporting families to provide them with the answers they deserve," she said.

Ms Giblin added that the firm has continued to be contacted by families in recent months concerned about the maternity care they received at SaTH, some of which "post-date the scope" of the Ockenden report.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has promised "swift" action on the recommendations of the report.

Louise Barnett, chief executive at SaTH, offered "wholehearted apologies" to families and said said it will "continue to make improvements, so we are delivering the best possible care for the communities that we serve".

A West Mercia Police investigation, Operation Lincoln, launched to explore whether there was evidence to support a criminal case against the trust or any individuals involved, is looking at 600 cases.

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