Mum impacted by Shropshire maternity scandal calls for national inquiry as Nottingham review published
Charlotte Cheshire and her son, Adam, were impacted by failings which Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust apologised for
A mum who's son was impacted by the Shropshire maternity scandal is calling for a national statutory inquiry as findings from a review of services in Nottingham is published today.
Reverend Charlotte Cheshire's son, Adam, suffered life-changing injuries as a result of failings which Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust apologised for.
Adam, now 15, suffered a brain injury and has been left with profound learning difficulties.
In 2022, the trust's maternity services were independently reviewed by senior midwife Donna Ockenden who has now published her findings from examining services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
"My heart, my thoughts, my prayers are very much with the families affected by the Nottingham maternity scandal," Charlotte said.
"I'm very glad in one sense that they are getting the light of Donna Ockenden's investigation shined into the horrific situation that happened to them and at the same time I'm desperately sad to know that this has been needed."
Donna Ockenden's review of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is the largest maternity inquiry in the history of the NHS.
Much like the findings of the review into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, it revealed that hundreds of mothers and babies suffered potentially avoidable harm or died.
Charlotte is among those now calling for a national statutory inquiry into maternity care across the country.
She said: "Each one of these investigations are incredibly important, but the simple fact that we are needing to have more and more and more tells me that there is something deeply routed and systemic that can only really be uncovered and hopefully fixed with a judge led statutory inquiry."
Charlotte continued: "The fact that three years ago we had the investigation into Shrewsbury and Telford and now we are on Nottingham says that we need something with the teeth of the law to actually fix this because recommendations simply aren't going far enough."
She expressed her gratitude for Donna Ockenden's work, however, says things need to go a step further than making recommendations.
In light of today's Nottingham review, Jo Williams, Chief Executive for the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: “Our thoughts are with all the families whose experiences are at the heart of this review.
"We know this report will also bring back painful memories for the families we let down and we are truly sorry for this.
"We will reflect carefully on the report, ensuring that its findings and the voices within it guide us in the care we provide.
“Listening to women and families, working together, and acting on feedback are essential to delivering safe and compassionate maternity services.
"We remain focused on ensuring lasting improvements in the care we provide, while making sure that the experiences highlighted through the Ockenden Review are never forgotten.”
In an open letter, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said it accepted the findings and took responsibility for the failings.
The letter states: "The publication of the independent review into maternity services in Nottingham is a watershed moment for affected families, our staff and for the communities we serve.
"We apologise unreservedly to the women and families who have suffered harm, loss, trauma or distress while receiving care in our services.
"We failed you, and on behalf of Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, we accept responsibility for our failings."
It continues: "At Nottingham University Hospitals, we are determined to provide maternity services that are consistently safe, compassionate, equitable and responsive.
"We want every family to have confidence in the care they receive. We want to reassure anyone using our services today that you will be safe in our care."
Donna Ockenden is also leading an independent review of maternity services at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.