Police probing a brutal mother-blaming hospital trust at the center of the biggest ever maternity scandal to strike the NHS are now investigating 600 cases, Sajid Javid announced today.
A damning five-year inquiry, published today, revealed 201 babies and nine mothers died needlessly during a two-decade spell of appalling care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The landmark probe found mothers were blamed for their own deaths and their 'poor outcomes'.
Babies suffered skull fractures, broken bones, or developed cerebral palsy after traumatic forceps deliveries, while others were starved of oxygen or experienced life-changing brain injuries. In one case, cleaners binned vital information which was stored on Post-it notes – causing 'tragic consequences for a newborn and her family.
Donna Ockenden, the senior midwife behind the scathing probe into almost 1,600 incidents, ruled that the organization 'failed to investigate, failed to learn and failed to improve'.
She added: 'This resulted in tragedies and life-changing incidents for so many of our families.'
Ms. Ockenden also revealed families were still coming forward with examples of poor care suffered at the hands of the trust as recently as 2021, and that one case dated back to the 1970s.
Staff was found to be frightened to speak out about errors due to the 'culture of undermining and bullying, while bosses ignored parents who raised concerns about how they were treated.
There were issues with staffing, the management of patient safety, patient and family involvement in care and investigations, as well as the complaints processes.
Mr. Javid, currently in charge of the Department of Health, called the findings of the Ockenden report 'tragic' and 'harrowing' with poor care turning what should have been moments of joy and happiness for families into 'unimaginable trauma'. (Mail Online)
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