Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Sajid Javid’s statement to the Commons

Sajid Javid has issued an apology for the maternity service failings reported at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

The health secretary spoke in the Commons on Wednesday after an independent inquiry into the UK’s biggest maternity scandal found that 201 babies and nine mothers could have - or would have - survived if the NHS trust had provided better care.

Speaking in the Commons, the health secretary said Donna Ockenden - a maternity expert who led the report - told him about “basic oversights” at “every level of patient care” at the trust.

He said the report “has given a voice at last to those families who were ignored and so grievously wronged”.

Javid said the report painted a tragic and harrowing picture of repeated failures in care over two decades which led to unimaginable trauma for so many people.

Rather than moments of joy and happiness for these families their experience of maternity care was one of tragedy and distress and the effects of these failures were felt across families, communities and generations.

The cases in this report are stark and deeply upsetting.

Mr Javid offered reassurances that the individuals who are responsible for the “serious and repeated failures” will be held to account.

Read full story and Sajid Javid's statement

Source: The Independent, 30 March 2022