Recent reports link several maternity units (Morecambe, Shrewsbury, Telford, East Kent, Nottingham) to baby deaths.
Health and Social Care Select Committee highlights the human and financial costs of inadequate improvements in maternity care.
Current State of Maternity Care
Approximately 700,000 babies born annually on the NHS; most are safe births.
If safety levels matched Sweden's, an estimated 1,000 more babies could survive each year.
Expert Panel Findings
Panel rated various aspects of maternity safety:
Maternity safety: Requires improvement
Continuity of care: Requires improvement
Personalized care: Inadequate
Safe staffing: Requires improvement
Progress and Ongoing Issues
Some progress in reducing stillbirths, but not uniform across all demographics.
Significant issues remain, particularly for minority ethnic groups.
Higher maternal death rates reported among Black and minority ethnic women.
Personal Accounts
A mother reported feeling unheard and unacknowledged regarding her baby's health concerns, emphasizing the need for better listening and responsiveness from healthcare providers.
Investigative Findings
Channel 4 News and the Independent investigated Nottingham University Hospitals Trust and Shrewsbury, revealing numerous incidents of baby deaths or harm.
The Ockenden review initiated due to parental pressure following the death of Kate Stanton Davis in 2009.
Recommended Improvements
Suggestions for a shift from a blame culture to a learning culture in maternity care.
Calls for increased investment in maternity services, although current funding (95 million per year) is below the recommended 200-350 million.
Changes to the clinical negligence system suggested, inspired by Sweden's model (less costly and adversarial), which could potentially save lives.
Parental Perspectives
Parents express that they sue not for financial compensation but to ensure their voices are heard and that lessons are learned to prevent future incidents.