Sussex families promised answers as maternity review scope is finalised
Independent investigation into University Hospitals Sussex will examine more than 1,000 maternity and neonatal cases dating back to 2018
Families affected by failures in maternity and neonatal care in Sussex are set to receive long-awaited answers after the government confirmed the scope of an independent review into services at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
The investigation, led by maternity safety expert Donna Ockenden, will examine cases involving stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, severe brain injuries suffered by newborns, and cases of serious maternal harm. The review is expected to assess more than 1,000 cases spanning over a decade.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the review’s scope on Wednesday, following discussions with affected families and campaigners who have spent years calling for accountability and reform.
Importantly, all families whose cases fall within the agreed criteria will automatically be included unless they choose to opt out, removing the need for bereaved or harmed families to formally apply to take part.
The government said the review had been shaped directly by families to ensure it reflects the scale of concerns surrounding maternity and neonatal care across Sussex. The process will also seek to identify the changes needed to improve safety and equality in maternity services.
Campaign group Truth For Our Babies welcomed the announcement, describing it as a significant step toward transparency and change.
“Today we welcome confirmation that the Government has listened to families by agreeing to a full and inclusive review into maternity and neonatal services at University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust,” the group said.
“Bereaved and harmed families across Sussex have spent years pushing for a review that reflects the scale of harm experienced due to failures in care and will establish what went wrong to deliver accountability and meaningful change.”
The group said families hoped the investigation would finally uncover why so many parents and babies had been failed by the system and what actions would now be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Streeting praised the determination of families who campaigned for the inquiry, saying: “The families in Sussex who have campaigned so tirelessly for this review have shown extraordinary courage.”
“The scope we have set out is deliberately broad and inclusive with all eligible cases included automatically unless families choose otherwise.”
He also expressed confidence in Donna Ockenden’s leadership, pointing to her previous work on maternity investigations elsewhere in England.
Ockenden said family experiences would remain central to the investigation throughout the process.
“It’s a privilege to have the trust of so many families across Sussex,” she said. “Family voices will run through the heart of the Review.”
She added that the review would aim to ensure disadvantaged and seldom-heard communities were fully represented and that lessons learned from both families and NHS staff would be used to improve care standards across the trust.
Although the formal review will focus on cases from 2018 onward, Ockenden will also have discretion to consider earlier cases and incidents where medical records may be incomplete or missing.
The full terms of reference are expected to be developed over the coming months in collaboration with families and the review team.
The investigation follows mounting concerns raised by bereaved families, campaigners, and MPs regarding patient safety within maternity and neonatal services at UHSx. Earlier this year, the Health Secretary met directly with affected families and pledged swift action, including appointing an independent chair for the review.
The announcement coincides with a new Care Quality Commission assessment, which upgraded the trust’s leadership rating from “inadequate” to “requires improvement”.
Alongside the Sussex review, the government says it is pursuing wider reforms aimed at improving maternity and neonatal care nationally. Measures introduced across England since July 2024 include the recruitment of 2,000 additional midwives, investment in maternity infrastructure projects, programmes aimed at reducing avoidable brain injuries during labour, and the rollout of Martha’s Rule pilots allowing patients and families to request second opinions.
The Health Secretary has also commissioned a national maternity investigation chaired by Baroness Amos and confirmed a separate independent maternity review at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, also led by Donna Ockenden.