Families hold 'positive' meeting over maternity failings
Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust is at the centre of the largest maternity review in the history of the NHS, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, which is looking into about 2,500 individual cases.Streeting, who has already held two meetings in London this week with affected families from across the country, said he intended to announce his maternity safety plan in a speech next Monday.
The BBC understands the plan included an improvement taskforce led by non-NHS officials, a buddying system between poorly performing and better trusts, and a restorative justice approach where hospitals and families would meet and vow to be open and honest.This was widely criticised by families but Streeting is said to have rowed back on the proposals in a two-and-a-half-hour meeting in a city centre hotel on Thursday.Sarah Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet died in 2016 at Nottingham City Hospital, told the BBC: "The whole plan frankly was wrong. "But Wes has listened to that and has come up here to listen to us again which is fantastic."Ms Hawkins added the health secretary is "holding the door open" for a full statutory public inquiry but had not confirmed one."If Harriet stayed [with us], she would be nine now but the way I am her mother, is by doing this and I'm not going to give up until we get it," she said.Sarah Sissons, whose son Ryan was born with brain damage 17 years ago because of poor maternity care, added: "[The meeting] was incredibly positive today, Wes is a human and treats us like humans and treats us like parents. "As people who have been through this situation, that's quite rare."
The health secretary said: "I met again with families who have endured the most devastating experiences imaginable - heartbreak caused by failures in NHS maternity care that should never have happened."They shared deeply painful stories of being ignored, mistreated, and left to cope with trauma and loss, all within a system that was meant to protect and care for them. "I heard about cover-ups, life-changing injuries, and a lack of basic compassion at the very moment when kindness and support were most needed."I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, how sorry I am for what they've been through - and how grateful I am for their courage in speaking out. "I gave them my word that I will do everything in my power to ensure no woman, no family, ever has to suffer like this again."I've left Nottingham with some clear advice from families about what they need me to do and how I can work together with them to improve maternity safety and also deliver honesty and accountability for victims."
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