Health Secretary Wes Streeting has praised parents in Leeds who are calling for an urgent review into the safety of maternity services in the city. Responding to a letter from parents who had lost children, Streeting did not commit to a review himself, but he did state that he was determined to “fix our maternity services” and reiterated that it was unacceptable that parents and their children did not receive the proper care they deserved.
The letter was sent after a BBC investigation, which revealed that over the past five years, at least 56 babies and two mothers may have died unnecessarily at Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust. The parents called for an “open book review that leaves no stone unturned”, and requested it be carried out by Donna Ockenden, a midwife who chaired independent reviews into other trusts’ maternity services.
Among those who signed the letter were Fiona Winser-Ramm and Dan Ramm, whose own baby died in 2020, only 27 minutes after birth. The parents have connected with other bereaved parents on Facebook and believe that many more have been affected.
LTH has said that it takes the findings of the investigation seriously and that the vast majority of its maternity services are safe. However, there are still concerns about the capacity of the units and a lack of vital resources, which many have noted could be contributing to the growing problem.
In a statement, Streeting said that change wouldn’t happen overnight, but he pledged to work swiftly to improve maternity services and ensure women and babies receive safe and compassionate care
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