Baby deaths trust still has care problems

An investigation into the high number of baby deaths at a Shropshire NHS trust in 2022 has identified poor care and issues with the neonatal service.

The Royal College of Physicians' review states further investigation is needed into high mortality across the entire West Midlands region, as well as at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital (SaTH) NHS trust.

On seven baby deaths, the report about the "obstetric journey" describes as poor the way problems were dealt with.

SaTH has insisted the quality of treatment had not contributed to deaths, but apologised for examples of poor care.

A total of 18 deaths were recorded by SaTH in the year 2021-22, which was 5% higher than similar sized trusts.

For the three years before this, neonatal mortality had also been high. So the trust invited the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) to look at its neonatal service.

The period 2021-22 was the time when senior midwife Donna Ockenden was reporting on SaTH failures that led to 200 deaths – at that stage the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history.

The RCP said the overall impression was of a maternity service that had taken huge strides over the past two years.

However, The RCP report identified only five cases where there was good practice in 2022. Two were unsatisfactory and 10 had room for improvement.

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Source: BBC News, 12 November 2024