Hundreds of women who faced issues with maternity care at the John Radcliffe (JR) Hospital in Oxford have created a campaign group to share their experiences. The hospital is run by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), which also oversees three other hospitals in the Oxford and Banbury area.
New mothers have complained about the treatment they endured whilst in the JR maternity ward, describing how they felt “highly vulnerable”. One woman, Oria Malik, told the BBC: “I just felt really isolated because I couldn’t communicate to anyone how much pain I was in.”
She went on to recount “humiliating” aftercare, being dealt with in such a rough manner by a nurse inserting a cannula that she “ended up with a blood clot”. Ms Malik also spoke of how a worker would leave the curtain open to her bed, explaining that “[t]here were people and families in the beds opposite who could see me laying in bed – I didn’t have any clothes on”.
Others in the group described similar experiences, with one of the founders of the group, Rebecca Matthews, saying she had endured “inhumane” care at the JR Hospital. Having spoken to other mothers who had also faced such treatment, it was then that she “realised how serious the issues were with OUH’s maternity services more widely”.
OUH told Cherwell that their Birth Reflections service offers women who have had difficult birth experiences the opportunity to raise concerns with them. However, Ms Matthews and others in the group – which contains the experiences of over 320 families – are calling for a public inquiry into what they describe as “systemic failings, cover-up culture and the extent of avoidable harm” within maternity care at OUH’s hospitals.
Yvonne Christley, the Chief Nursing Officer at OUH told Cherwell: ““The safety and wellbeing of mothers and babies in our care is central to our maternity services. We are very sorry that some women have not experienced the quality of care they should expect.
“Each year, OUH delivers approximately 7,500 babies and provides specialised care for women with complex pregnancies and who require specialised care. Most patients who give birth at our hospitals report a positive experience.”
