Bereaved Families Feel 'ignored' Over Maternity Review

Families calling for an enquiry into maternity attraction successful East Sussex opportunity they consciousness "ignored, exhausted and dismissed" aft gathering nan chair of a nationalist review.

The group met pinch Baroness Amos connected Wednesday, claiming she was poorly briefed and that nary advancement was made.

The families, who each mislaid babies nether nan University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust, person been campaigning for 18 months for an enquiry and insist that elder nurse Donna Ockenden is appointed to lead it.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said Baroness Amos would activity intimately pinch families to "uncover nan truth".

In June, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a rapid review into maternity services successful England and past week appointed Baroness Amos, a erstwhile elder diplomat, to lead it. Streeting said he wanted nan activity to beryllium completed by December and that up to 10 section areas would person their maternity services examined arsenic portion of nan investigation.

Nine families successful Sussex, who opportunity aesculapian errors led to their babies' deaths, were promised a reappraisal by Streeting and nan group thought nan gathering pinch Baroness Amos would advancement nan case.

But they said nan chair told them that she was not alert of nan history aliases expectations of nan families, and that she did not person nan powerfulness to determine who would lead it.

"We person spoken to Wes Streeting straight and to nan Department of Health & Social Care again and again astir nan toll these meetings return connected us," nan families said successful a statement.

"To group speech an hr of our clip for a gathering wherever due mentation had not taken spot was profoundly dispiriting, and to consciousness we person still not made advancement connected our review, contempt galore months of presenting a clear lawsuit for one, drafting nan position of reference and securing nan support of Donna Ockenden, is infuriating."

Ms Ockenden is presently starring a reappraisal of maternity attraction successful Nottingham having antecedently examined services astatine nan Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trust.

Shortly earlier nan meeting, nan families were told that Kathryn Whitehill, a erstwhile inspector pinch nan Care Quality Commission, had been appointed arsenic an interrogator connected nan review, causing anger among respective families who had suffered mediocre maternity care.

"Bereaved parents had been promised they would beryllium consulted connected immoderate appointments and person consistently fed backmost to nan authorities that this investigation cannot beryllium undertaken by anyone moving for nan regulators responsible for holding trusts accountable for maternity safety," nan connection from nan families added.

"These organisations are portion of nan strategy that has continued to present unsafe maternity care, and arsenic specified should beryllium portion of nan attraction of nan investigation alternatively than starring it."

The assignment of Ms Whitehill "raises superior doubts astir whether nan reappraisal tin beryllium independent aliases trusted", nan connection added.

The DHSC said she had been seconded owed to her master skills, expertise and acquisition and that she has not been permanently appointed to nan review.

The concerns of nan group travel successful nan aftermath of disapproval of nan accelerated reappraisal past week from a wider group of families.

The Maternity Safety Alliance, which represents families from areas which person knowledgeable mediocre maternity care, said Streeting's enquiry was "doomed to fail" earlier it has begun owed to nan behaviour of nan Department of Health and NHS England.

Some different families person nevertheless expressed a willingness to activity pinch Baroness Amos.

A DHSC spokesperson said: "The Secretary of State has been moving intimately pinch harmed and bereaved families passim this process to guarantee they are astatine nan bosom of determination making.

"Families asked for caller eyes, independence, and compassion. Baroness Amos has been appointed because her of outstanding grounds of activity and driving alteration - nationally and internationally.

"She will activity intimately pinch families to name her master sheet and finalise position of reference to uncover nan truth, face problems and thrust nan improvements needed truthful each female and babe receives safe, high-quality care."