Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) is one of 14 NHS trusts to be included in a “rapid national investigation” of maternity and newborn care in England, the government announced last month. The trust, which administers the John Radcliffe Hospital, and three other hospitals in and around Oxford, will face scrutiny over the quality and safety of its maternity services.
The review was first announced by Health Secretary Wes Streeting in June. It follows several independent inquiries over the last ten years which have revealed serious failings in maternity care and pointed to persistent failures to listen to patient concerns. In response, the government says that the review will put affected families at “the heart of the work”.
Families Failed by OUH Maternity Services, a campaign representing more than 620 affected families, say they welcome OUH’s inclusion in the review. Their co-founder Rebecca Matthews said: “For 15 months, our inbox has been flooded with stories of shockingly poor and negligent care at OUH. These include accounts of stillbirth, of babies with brain injuries, and women with long-lasting physical and psychological injuries as a result of failings in the maternity care they received.”
Matthews alleged that “many of these outcomes have been the result of a failure by OUH staff to identify or act on problems during pregnancy or labour”.
The investigation will be led by Baroness Valerie Amos, who said: “We will pay particular attention to the inequalities faced by Black and Asian women and by families from marginalised groups, whose voices have too often been overlooked.”
The rate of maternal mortality among Black women in the UK is nearly three times that among white women. Women from Asian ethnic backgrounds are nearly twice as likely as white women to die during pregnancy.
Baroness Amos’ investigation is set to deliver interim findings in December. The tight time frame set for the review has sparked criticism. A statement by Families Failed by OUH Maternity Services said: “[I]t’s not the public inquiry that we ultimately need.”
Simon Crowther, Acting Chief Executive Officer at OUH, told Cherwell: “This review is an important step in a national effort to improve maternity care across the NHS. We are committed to playing our part in this journey – with openness, transparency, and a relentless focus on the safety and wellbeing of every woman and baby in our care.”
Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon and Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, was approached but was unavailable for comment.
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