Families are calling for an independent review into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust maternity care.
Data shows that Leeds Hospital has the highest neonatal mortality rate in the UK.
The CQC rated the two maternity units at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTH), Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital, as good but whistleblowers believe the units are unsafe.
In a statement, the Trust said the majority of births are safe and deaths of mothers and babies were very rare.
Staff who worked at the units, however, described care as appalling highlighting a service that is completely broken, with chronic understaffing, a lack of empathy and a failure to listen to patients. Families described a lack of compassionate care, a tick box and wait-and-see culture.
Trust-led reviews of 56 cases from January 2019 to July 2024 involving stillbirths, neonatal deaths and also 2 maternal deaths revealed the outcome could have been different with better care.
The Trust accounts for the high rate of mortality to caring for a higher volume of babies with complex conditions. The deaths reviewed included babies with congenital abnormalities, and babies and mothers transferred from other units who required specialist care. The trust has seen an increasing number of complex pregnancies including severe cardiac conditions.
Data from MBRRACE-UK found Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust neonatal deaths were 70% higher than the average rates for comparable trusts.
An Inquest in 2023 found failures included delays in admitting a patient after her waters broke and a delay by midwives escalating concerns with the fetal heart rate.Jane Lynch – Head of Medical Negligence, birth injury specialist at Prosperity Law says,
“Delays and failure to monitor a baby’s heart rate adequately are common failures by midwives in birth injury claims. Every minute counts. The longer the baby is in fetal distress sadly the more damage or death occurs.
Where there is a delay in delivery there can be a lack of oxygen to the baby, known as hypoxia. This can result in a birth injury. Birth injury can result in certain types of developmental delays, cerebral palsy or even death.
Trusts should learn lessons but sadly we continue to see the same mistakes happening.”
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If you think that you or a loved one has been injured as a result of medical negligence associated with birth Injury, then you may be able to make a claim.
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