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A BBC investigation has revealed that at least 58 babies who died at an NHS maternity unit may have survived if care had been improved. This figure comprises 32 stillbirths and 26 neonatal deaths—deaths occurring within 28 days after birth—at Oxford University Hospitals Trust (OUH) from 2019 to 2024, obtained through a Freedom of Information request.
Families affected have expressed deep frustration, attributing these losses to missed opportunities, what they describe as “arrogance” among some senior doctors, and a “defensive culture” within the trust. OUH responded with a statement expressing regret that some mothers felt negatively about their experiences. The trust explained that many of the cases involved patients referred to them for specialist care across the region, and emphasized that every baby death undergoes a thorough review to understand what happened and identify any necessary improvements.
One such mother, Eleanor Taylor-Verlaan from Oxfordshire, is preparing for a Caesarean section next month, close to the anniversary of her first daughter’s death in 2017. Her daughter, Alissa, suffered severe brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation when the placenta detached prematurely. Eleanor believes that with better medical attention, her baby might still be alive. She recalled, “They should’ve got me in straight away, they should’ve seen me as soon as I turned up to hospital because I was classed as high risk, they should have listened to the midwives that were watching that CTG (cardiotocography) quite closely but everything got overruled [by the doctors].” Despite known risks highlighted at a 20-week scan, Eleanor was not monitored closely. When she reported abdominal pain and sickness at 35 weeks, she was told to remain at home and take paracetamol. Alissa was eventually born by emergency C-section after a lengthy wait in the maternity assessment unit but died six weeks later.
An internal review of Alissa’s case identified some care issues but concluded that these were unlikely to have altered the outcome. Eleanor, who was unaware at the time how to request an independent review, now plans to challenge this finding with legal support. Laura Cook, a partner at Medilaw, criticised the trust’s internal investigations as “a tick-box exercise” designed to appear thorough while often necessitating families to seek legal help to uncover further issues. Cook added, “What stands out with Oxford is its defensiveness, it’s clear that reputation is of the upmost importance, it’s not the same with other trusts.” The trust acknowledged ongoing dissatisfaction among some families and stressed it takes all feedback seriously.
The investigation also uncovered that between 2019 and 2025, the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI)—an independent body examining NHS patient safety—looked into 27 baby deaths and two maternal deaths linked to the trust. Their recommendations highlighted the need for better fetal monitoring, clinical oversight, risk assessment, and communication improvements. Financially, the trust paid over £72 million in compensation for obstetrics claims from 2020 to 2025. This exceeds even Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which has been at the center of the largest investigation into maternity care failures and paid around £61 million during the same period. OUH maintains that its claim rate per birth is among the lowest compared to similar trusts handling highly complex cases
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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