Senior midwife confirmed to chair Leeds maternity investigation after 'emotionally draining process'

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has chosen to appoint senior midwife, Donna Ockenden, as the chairwoman for the Leeds Maternity and Neonatal Independent Review, following repeated calls families.

The campaigning efforts were spearheaded by Fiona Winser-Ramm and Daniel Ramm, Amarjit and Mandip Matharoo and Lauren Caulfield – whose babies all died due to maternity care failings at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

An investigation found that the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the space of five years could have been prevented.

Leeds families met with Wes Streeting on Monday February 23 to urge him to appoint Donna Ockenden, after the health secretary announced that an independent review would be carried out last October.

At the meeting, the group presented detailed research and evidence to highlight the extent of the maternity care failings at Leeds, and why families believe Ms Ockenden to be the only suitable chair.

Ms Ockenden has been seen as the ideal candidate having chaired maternity inquiries of a similar scale in Shrewsbury, Telford and Nottingham.

Today (March 10), the Department of Health and Social Care has formally confirmed that Donna Ockenden will be chairing the independent review.

Responding to the announcement, Amarjit Matharoo said: “It has been a long, drawn-out, and emotionally draining process to get the assurances that this investigation will be handled with the appropriate methodology and care that it needs.

“We are grateful that Wes Streeting has listened carefully to all of the evidence we put to him about our concerns and why Donna should be appointed as chair. We believe she has the experience, independence and determination required to uncover the truth and deliver meaningful accountability and change.

“We feel very lucky that our calls for Donna Ockenden's appointment have been listened to but remain acutely aware of the families in Sussex also need her. The mothers and babies who have died or been harmed in the care of these Trusts, deserve the same amount of consideration as those in Leeds.”

Amarjit’s husband and father to baby Asees said he wants the voice of fathers to also be heard, saying: “Childbirth is an intimate family event. Fathers and partners are often there when things go wrong — witnessing the trauma and living with the aftermath alongside mothers and babies. Their voices must also be heard, and they need to be part of this process.”

What we know about the review so far

The full Terms of Reference for the review are yet to be agreed, but the government has confirmed that it will look at harm caused between January 2011 and December 2025.

Cases will automatically be included unless families choose otherwise. This approach was previously adopted during the review into maternity services in Nottingham and ensures no families, including those from seldom heard communities are excluded from this process.

Families have also been assured that experiences of harm occurring before 2011 will still be able to be considered on an opt-in basis, ensuring no families are excluded from the process. Because of this, Leeds families are imploring that all those impacted by maternity failings should speak out and cooperate with the review.

Fiona Winser-Ramm said: “We are calling on to all those who have been harmed, or whose babies have been harmed to reach out and engage with the review. Whether it was 11 years ago or 11 months ago, your experience matters. Your baby's life and wellbeing matters, as does yours.”

The review will focus on identifying areas of concern within maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and will recommend actions to improve the safety, quality and equity of maternity care with the trust being given monthly actions as the inquiry progresses in order to enact real time change.

The review will undertake extensive engagement with affected families, as well as current and former staff, local and national stakeholders and professional regulators including the Care Quality Commission.

Improvements to maternity care needed in Leeds and beyond

In response to the news, Lauren Caulfield said: “The announcement is coming 10 days before Grace's 4th birthday, and I feel this is the best gift I could give her, ensuring her little life is actually going to make a change.

“We have fought for this review so that families finally get answers and so that future parents in Leeds can feel confident that both mothers and babies will make it home safely.”

Families have urged current and former healthcare professionals to come forward and hope that they will be given the requisite psychological support. They hope the review will not only uncover what went wrong but also support meaningful improvements that ensure maternity services in Leeds become among the safest in the country.

‘I feel a profound sense of responsibility’

In a statement, Donna Ockenden said: “It is an honour to have been asked to chair this review, and I feel a profound sense of responsibility to the parents, babies and healthcare professionals it concerns to ensure that we get this right.

“This review must remain firmly focused on the families who, in many instances, have waited far too long for answers to questions about their care. My priority will be to listen carefully to families and staff, to understand what has gone wrong, and to ensure that the lessons are learned and the changes required are made, in a timely way, thus ensuring that all mothers, their babies and families receive safe, high-quality perinatal care.”

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust respond

Brendan Brown, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I am deeply sorry to families whose babies have sadly died or who have been harmed when receiving care in our hospitals.

“We welcome the announcement that a Chair has been appointed to lead the independent review, and we are absolutely committed to working openly, honestly and transparently with Donna Ockenden and the review team, and with families who have used our services. We hope this announcement will give reassurance to families that the review can now move forward and provide the answers they deserve.

“I would also like to reassure families in Leeds who will be using our services currently, that significant improvements are already underway in our maternity and neonatal services, following reviews by the Care Quality Commission and NHS England.

“We know there is more to do, and we will continue to improve our services as we strive to ensure that every family receives safe, compassionate, inclusive, and high-quality care.”

Campaign families supported by Irwin Mitchell

Medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are representing more than 40 families affected by issues in their maternity care in Leeds including members of the Leeds Maternity Safety Support Group.

Katie Warner, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell said: “We have a significant number of ongoing maternity cases against Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and we continue to be approached on a regular basis. It’s hugely encouraging that the review is beginning to move forward and all credit to the Leeds families and the support group for their hard work and determination.  It is important that Terms of Reference are now finalised, with input from all parties, as soon as possible so that the review can begin.

“Families across the city have been devastated by maternity care issues – whether that be the loss of a baby, their child suffering life-long disabilities or mums being seriously injured. It’s vital that care improves and that urgent steps are taken to implement the hundreds of recommendations made in the maternity investigations and reports that have already taken place to date.”