Victims of maternity failings 'disappointed' with findings of damning report

Victims of maternity failings say they are "disappointed" by the findings of an interim report they fear will have "no teeth" to make changes. 

An investigation into NHS maternity services is under way after a series of shocking scandals.

The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (NMNI) is being led by Baroness Amos, who said "nothing prepared her" for the amount of "unacceptable care" families currently receive.

A report has been released documenting her initial reflections and impressions after meeting families and visiting hospitals.

She will investigate 12 NHS trusts in total, including Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), which runs the world-renowned John Radcliffe Hospital.

'I was left in my own blood'

Rebecca Matthews formed a campaign for families failed by OUH after her own traumatic births.

Asked to discuss the care she received, she said she "could only describe it as callous".

"There wasn't any kindness there. I was left in my own blood," she added.

Ms Matthews recently took part in evidence-gathering sessions held by Baroness Amos.

But when she read her interim report, she said it was "disappointing", as it appeared to be "a bullet point list of failings that actually we've seen time and time again in independent reviews".

"The reflections don't mention accountability at all," she said.

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'Why are we struggling to provide?'

Based on her initial inquiries, Baroness Amos found common themes, including women not being listened to and being "disregarded" when they raised concerns.

Many weren't given the right information to make informed choices about their care.

She was told of discrimination against women of colour, working-class mothers, or parents who were younger.

A "staggering" 748 recommendations have been made about NHS maternity services in recent years, Baroness Amos revealed - and she does "not understand why change has been so slow".

She asked: "Why are we in England still struggling to provide safe, reliable maternity and neonatal care everywhere in the country?"

Baroness Amos told Sky News' Mornings with Ridge and Frost: "I have been shocked…I've been shocked because there have been so many reviews before."

She said she had been asked to come up with "clear national recommendations that will stop this and will make a difference".

"It just cannot continue, there's too much harm, too much distress, too much trauma," Baroness Amos said, describing the long-term consequences for families as "almost unbearable".

Asked if there was "systematic racism in the NHS", she said there was "clearly discrimination".

"When a woman tells you that she is making choices that she knows may be detrimental to her because of her previous experience of healthcare, because of the racism that she has experienced, there is something additive here in terms of race," she said.

"Inequalities is a key strand of the work that we're doing."

The most recent health watchdog findings paint a depressing picture of maternity services.

Almost two-thirds of acute hospital maternity services were judged either inadequate or required improvement for safety.

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This investigation is not due to report back fully until the spring.

But some campaigners are already worried it won't bring meaningful change to maternity services.

Ms Matthews said it "seems as though it's heading the same way that other reviews have gone in the past, leading to some recommendations but no teeth".

"We need some mechanisms that are going to hold people and systems to account," she said.

'More to do'

OUH chief nurse Yvonne Christley said in a statement that "feedback received from patients using our maternity service over the last year is positive overall".

"However, we know we have more to do to improve our maternity services," she added.

"Our present focus is on listening to the experiences of women and families, which is helping us to identify opportunities for improvement."

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

You can also get help at support@birthtraumaassociation.org.uk

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