Report: Over 200 avoidable baby deaths in two decades in UK maternity hospital
March 31, 2022, 2:16 pm

Report: Over 200 avoidable baby deaths in two decades in UK maternity hospital

More than 200 babies suffered avoidable deaths over two decades at a UK maternity hospital (File photo: Pixabay)

The Euronews reported, a review has found that more than 200 babies suffered avoidable deaths over two decades at a UK maternity hospital.

The investigation has revealed persistent failures at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust in western England.

The report found that up to 131 stillbirths, 70 neonatal deaths and nine maternal deaths either could have or would have been avoided with better care.

The review began in 2018 after two families that had lost their babies at the maternity hospital campaigned for an inquiry.

Former senior midwife Donna Ockenden led an investigation into nearly 1,600 incidents between 2000 and 2019, including cases of stillbirth, neonatal death, and maternal deaths.

London-England-St Paul'S Cathedral (File photo: Pixabay)

The 250-page report also looked into cases of newborns with fractured skulls, broken bones and brain problems after lack of oxygen at the time of birth

Ockenden said Wednesday that the hospital's management “failed to investigate, failed to learn and failed to improve.”

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She said: “This resulted in tragedies and life-changing incidents for so many of our families."

Ockenden’s initial report in 2020 found that a pattern of failures and poor maternal care led to avoidable deaths and harm to mothers and newborns. Deaths were often not investigated and grieving mothers were at times blamed for their loss, she found.

Ockenden said the hospital had focused on keeping cesarean section rates low but that in some cases opting to perform C-sections earlier would have avoided death and injury.

The former midwife said on Wednesday that she was “deeply concerned” that families had continued to contact the investigators in 2020 and 2021 with concerns about the safety of care at the hospital.

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Ockenden said there had been some progress since her 2020 report but “systemic” improvement was needed across the country, including ensuring maternity units were properly staffed and funded.

Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust chief executive Louise Barnett offered “wholehearted apologies.”

Barnett said: "We owe it to those families we failed and those we care for today and in the future to continue to make improvements.”

UK Health Secretary also issued an apology in parliament on Wednesday.

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Javid told MPs: "To all the families who have suffered so much, I am sorry," adding that "You have been let down by a service that was there to help you and your loved ones give life."

Source: euronews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
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