politics
Bereaved Parents Meet Inquiry Chair as Leeds Maternity Review Begins After BBC Reports Preventable Deaths
Families whose babies died or suffered harm at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust met Donna Ockenden, chair of an independent inquiry, for the first time. The session at the Park Plaza Hotel marks the beginning of a review covering 15 years of maternity and neonatal care.
Jul 18, 1:04 PM·1m read1 source
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uk published its report. The session occurred 57 minutes before publication and was the first of many planned meetings. Ockenden, who previously led an inquiry into maternity failings in Nottingham, said the families deserve every possible accolade.
"It's a privilege to be trusted by so many families, we work really hard to win that trust," she stated. She encouraged current and former trust staff to share their experiences. The inquiry will examine maternity care at the trust over a 15-year period and may review up to 3,000 cases.
Then-Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the inquiry last year. bbc.co.uk reported that a BBC investigation found the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers over the last five years at the trust may have been preventable. Lauren Caulfield, whose daughter Grace was stillborn in 2022, said the meeting left her feeling empowered.
"To see us finally reach this point, it's just incredible and I feel empowered, finally," she stated. Amarjit Kaur Matharoo, whose daughter Asees was stillborn on 6 January 2024, said families had to go "all the way to the top, to Number 10" to secure the inquiry. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust stated it was already taking significant steps to address improvements.
