NHS Maternity Scandal: Police Investigate 600 Further Cases

Report condemns staff failures that may have led to 201 baby deaths

- Andrew Gregory Health editor

Police are examining 600 cases linked to the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history after a damning report into baby deaths condemned health staff for blaming mothers while ignoring their own catastrophic blunders.

The independent inquiry into maternity practices at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust uncovered hundreds of cases in which health officials had failed to undertake serious incident investigations, while deaths were dismissed or not investigated appropriately.

Instead, grieving families were denied access to reviews of their care and mothers were blamed when their babies died or suffered horrific injuries.

A total of 201 babies and nine mothers could have or would have survived if the NHS trust had provided better care, the inquiry found.

There were 29 cases where babies suffered severe brain injuries and 65 incidents of cerebral palsy.

Rhiannon Davies, one of the mothers who fought for justice for years after her daughter Kate died in 2009, said the numbers did “not tell the whole story” of the impact on the families.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, issued a Commons apology yesterday, telling MPs: “We entrust the NHS with our care, often when we’re at our most vulnerable. In return we expect the highest standards.

“ When those standards are not met, we must act firmly and the failures of care and compassion set out in this report have absolutely no place in the NHS. To the families that have suffered so gravely, I am sorry.”