'Harmed and bereaved' Leeds families tell Health Secretary 'trust needs to be regained' at inquiry meeting
“Harmed and bereaved” Leeds families told the Health Secretary that “trust needs to be regained” as they continue calls for a full inquiry into failings by the city’s maternity services.
The Leeds Hospitals (LTHT) Maternity Family Support Group, founded by affected families, met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting today (February 23), to renew their calls for an independent inquiry led by Donna Ockenden, known for previous reviews of maternity services in Nottingham and Shrewsbury.
The families were joined at the meeting by the MP for Leeds East Richard Burgon, who said that it was a “constructive meeting” that ended with Mr Streeting promising to go away and look into the inquiry.
Mr Streeting announced in October that an inquiry into maternity services provided by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust would go ahead after it was found that the deaths of over 50 babies in the last five years may have been prevented.
At the meeting, the families also asked Mr Streeting what steps will be taken to restore trust and ensure the inquiry “proceeds with independence, credibility and urgency”.
Mr Burgon said: “It was a constructive meeting and I want to pay tribute to the bereaved families from Leeds who went there and made their case to the Secretary of State - a case that I support - to appoint Donna Ockenden as chair of the Leeds Maternity Inquiry
“It was an important meeting which went on for much longer than originally planned because the families quite rightly had so much to say about what needs to be done to make sure this inquiry has the trust and confidence of affected families in Leeds. Without that such an inquiry can’t work and can’t lead to the change that is needed.”
Mr Burgon said that at the end of the meeting the Health Secretary promised to “go away and consider everything that was said to him”.
Mr Burgon said: “He promised to have further conversations in the coming days, including with Donna Ockenden, and pledged that a decision would be imminent.
“We need that decision in the next week and we look forward to hearing from the Secretary of State.”
Mr Burgon added: “The families made their case to Mr Streeting with passion, clarity and lived experience and their representations need to weigh heavily with the Secretary of State over the next few days before making his decision.
“The families made their case for why they haven’t been satisfied for so long. The Health Secretary was left with a clear mind that trust needs to be regained.”
Earlier this month, the Leeds families delivered a letter to Prime Minister calling for his intervention in the inquiry, and said that their trust in the inquiry process had been “totally eroded”.
The Leeds Maternity Inquiry was announced in October 2025 following longstanding concerns about maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.