Streeting cancels trust-commissioned maternity review

A review commissioned by Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to investigate its perinatal mortality rate has been cancelled following an intervention by the health secretary, HSJ understands.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust decided last spring to commission the “independent” external review to look into its “higher than expected” baby death and stillbirth rates in recent years.

HSJ understands that, despite health and social care secretary Wes Streeting ordering a wider inquiry in October, the trust had, until recently, planned to press on with the initial external review.

However, several sources said that Mr Streeting has now made clear it must be scrapped, after some families raised concerns about the process last month.

Leeds families argued the trust was using the review to try to undermine the wider inquiry. They claimed LTHT was attempting to “exhaust” and “emotionally drain” bereaved families in the hope they would not participate in the wider probe.

Bereaved mothers Fiona Winser-Ramm, Amarjit Kaur Matharoo, and Lauren Caulfield, who have been campaigning for years for an independent inquiry, welcomed the decision to scrap the LTHT-commissioned review.

They said: “The government-led, full independent inquiry must run its course without interference or manipulation.

“LTHT needs to apologise to bereaved families… there should never have been engagement with patients about past cases once the independent inquiry was announced.”

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Source: HSJ, 10 March 2026