Baby death inquiry delayed by leadership confusion

Investigations into serious maternity safety concerns have been delayed by at least six months because national agencies could not decide who should lead the work, HSJ has learned.

Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust announced in May it would commission reviews of mortality linked to maternity and neonatal services. This followed a BBC Panorama documentary in January, which claimed cultural and staffing problems had caused avoidable baby deaths.

But, six months on, the review of maternity services has still not started, and the neonatal review did not begin until recent weeks – and is not due to complete until late this year, nearly 12 months after the BBC programme.

The trust said it was still working with NHS England to appoint an “external assessor” for the maternity review, while an NHSE regional team has now begun examining the neonatal deaths.

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Source: HSJ, 5 November 2024