Maternity Inquiry Chair Named In Government U-turn

The wellness caput has made a U-turn complete who will lead an independent enquiry into "repeated maternity failures" astatine an NHS trust.

Wes Streeting has appointed Donna Ockenden, pursuing a run by bereaved and harmed families, to lead nan reappraisal into maternity and neonatal services astatine Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust.

Streeting first announced nan inquiry into nan West Yorkshire spot successful October 2025, saying it was required to understand what had "gone truthful catastrophically wrong" astatine nan maternity units astatine Leeds General Infirmary and St James's University Hospital.

Days later successful a BBC power interview, Streeting announced that Ockenden would not beryllium nan chair of nan Leeds review.

In February, families and MPs urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to "intervene and appoint" nan elder nurse instantly to caput nan Leeds inquiry.

Amarjit Matharoo, whose girl Asees was stillborn successful January 2024, said it "has been a long, drawn-out, and emotionally draining process to get nan assurances that this investigation will beryllium handled pinch nan due methodology and attraction that it needs".

Matharoo said they were "grateful that Wes Streeting has listened carefully" and felt "very lucky" to person Ockenden appointed.

Streeting thanked families for "their openness successful caller discussions" and said he was "delighted to name personification truthful trusted" by bereaved and harmed families.

Ockenden said she "commends nan caput of state" for "making nan correct determination from nan families' perspective".

"Families person been very clear for a very agelong clip that their petition was for maine to chair their independent maternity services astatine Leeds.

"They person met pinch nan caput of authorities connected a number of occasions, and successful nan past gathering that I judge went connected for respective hours... he listened very cautiously and came backmost to them and said 'actually this is nan correct decision'.

"So I americium pleased pinch that but I do recognise, arsenic we each will, that it has taken a very agelong clip to get to present today," she said.

Although nan afloat position of reference for nan reappraisal are yet to beryllium agreed, nan authorities said it expected it "to impact lawsuit reviews of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and superior injuries, hypoxic injuries and maternal deaths" betwixt 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2025.

The reappraisal will run connected an opt-out basis, pinch cases that meet nan position of reference automatically included unless families take otherwise. Clinical lawsuit reviews are expected to statesman successful August.

Fiona Winser-Ramm, whose girl Aliona Grace died successful 2020, said: "We are calling connected each those who person been harmed, aliases whose babies person been harmed, to scope retired and prosecute pinch nan review.

"Whether it was 11 years agone aliases 11 months ago, your acquisition matters. Your baby's life and wellbeing matters, arsenic does yours."

The BBC's original investigation featured grounds from whistleblowers who claimed nan maternity units were unsafe, contempt being rated "good" astatine nan clip by nan assemblage responsible for inspecting NHS hospitals, nan Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The maternity units were downgraded by nan CQC to "inadequate" successful June 2025, aft unannounced inspections raised concerns that women and babies were "at consequence of avoidable harm".

Inspectors besides highlighted a "blame culture" astatine nan trust, which resulted successful unit being reluctant to raise concerns and incidents.

In a connection Brendan Brown, Chief Executive of LTH NHS Trust, apologised to families whose babies died aliases were harmed, and said they welcomed nan announcement of a chair being appointed.

"We are perfectly committed to moving openly, honestly and transparently pinch Donna Ockenden and nan reappraisal team, and pinch families who person utilized our services", Brown said.

"I would besides for illustration to reassure families successful Leeds who will beryllium utilizing our services currently, that important improvements are already nether measurement successful our maternity and neonatal services, pursuing reviews by nan Care Quality Commission and NHS England," he added.

In a statement, nan wellness caput besides said Ockenden was an "outstanding advocator for families whose voices haven't ever been heard" and that "her activity will bring america person to lasting alteration truthful desperately needed successful Leeds".

Do you person much accusation astir this story?

You tin scope Divya straight and securely done encrypted messaging app Signal on: +44 7961 390 325, by email astatine divya.talwar@bbc.co.uk aliases her Instagram account.