Maternity Care – Lessons Still to Learn following Manslaughter Investigation.

The BBC is reporting that a corporate manslaughter investigation has been opened by police into failings at hospitals run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

A separate inquiry by leading independent midwifery expert, Donna Ockenden, looking at approximately 2,300 cases concerning medical treatment that has allegedly led to harm to mothers and babies (including neonatal death and stillbirth) is ongoing.

It bears troubling similarities to large-scale investigations into maternity care provided by Trusts in other parts of the country, for example Morecombe Bay, East Kent and notably Shrewsbury & Telford NHS Trust, in respect of which Lanyon Bowdler acted for many families affected by those events.

The reports of such investigations seem to present familiar themes of poor culture, lack of teamwork between midwifery and obstetric specialties, failures to investigate or learn from incidents and, crucially, not listening to families when those do take place.

Clinical negligence cases involving maternity care accounted for approximately £2.8bn of spend in 2023-24. The costs of such cases can be substantial, in large part due to the highly specialised care, therapies and adaptations required by affected children.

One must hope that those with the power to effect change both at individual hospitals and nationwide have regard to the urgent need for a better way of doing things, promoting positive culture and high standards of care, with the happy effect of fewer poor outcomes for families.

If you wish to speak to Lanyon Bowdler’s specialist team, please email info@lblaw.co.uk or phone 0800 652 3371.