Your Voice Matters: supporting families failed by maternity services

As the Government launches a rapid national investigation into NHS maternity services, I look at what it intends to do, why it is necessary, and whether it is enough. You can read more about the Government’s announcement and initial reaction in this article from Apple News.

Why is it necessary?

Childbirth should be a life-affirming moment and should begin with trust, dignity and care.  Instead, families live in fear of being let down by the NHS system that has the ability to shape their future.   Having met families, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, addressed the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) on the 23rd June;

“all of them have had to fight for truth and justice, they describe being ignored, gaslit, lied to, manipulated and damaged further by the inability for a trust to simply be honest with them that something has gone wrong.

… these families are owed more than an apology.  They are owed change, they are owed accountability, and they are owed the truth”. 

It comes amid a series of maternity scandals and is intended to provide truth to families suffering harm as well as driving urgent improvements to care and safety.

Professor Ranee Thakar, President of the RCOG added that “maternity teams have too few staff, too little time for training and lacked modern equipment and facilities” which resulted in harm to women and babies.

What will it do and will it go far enough?

Maternity units at ten NHS trusts will be investigated in a bid for transparency. Amongst that number will be Leeds, Gloucester, Mid and South Essex and Sussex.

There will be a launch of -

• A ‘system-wide’ review of failings in the sector, inviting lessons from past maternity enquiries to create ‘one clear set of actions’ designed to improve national NHS care.

• A new digital data system to be rolled out by November to flag potential safety concerns in trusts.

• An antidiscrimination program to tackle inequalities in black, Asian and other minorities.

• A national task force on maternity and neonatal care in England, comprising bereaved families and experts to address immediate issues in maternity care.

Your Voice Matters

The women I act for will live with the trauma of what has happened for the rest of their lives. They trusted the maternity services during a very vulnerable time in their life.  You nurture a baby and do everything to safeguard that life. The women that I represent were not monitored or listened to. They alerted the professionals to problems, but they were not offered a reasonable standard of care. The consequences have been devastating.  It causes changes to work, sleep, relationships, wellbeing and unimaginable trauma. This is often aggravated by the way that the failings are handled. Our findings are that the trusts are reluctant to listen and own up to their mistakes. They are defensive in their approach. Lessons must be shared beyond these ten trusts and sadly, what we have seen so far is that hospitals lack the integrity to do so.

We want honesty, transparency and nationwide change. Working for women throughout the country, the same problems are repeated, and the dots are not joined.

The Nottingham Affected Families group has said in a statement that “we believe a rapid review will only reinforce the need for a public inquiry as the current plan lacks enforceable actions for real improvement”.

How Forbes Solicitors Can Help You

At Forbes Solicitors, we are committed to raising awareness of the ongoing crisis within the maternity care sector of the NHS. We encourage those impacted by these failures to share their experiences; your voice matters. Telling these stories is crucial in driving the reforms necessary to prevent future harm. We stand with each family seeking answers. If you need support or want to understand your options, call us in confidence on 0800 037 4625.