A criminal inquiry has been launched into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) by West Mercia Police to assess where there exists any evidence of criminal negligence in maternity practises.
There is also currently an independent review being undertaken into maternity care at SaTH by Donna Ockenden, which remains ongoing. The number of families raising concerns have continued to grow, making the Ockenden review the largest maternity inquiry to date. Set up following the deaths of 23 infants at the Trust, the review is now looking at hundreds of cases.
Lucy has long campaigned on the maternity scandal on behalf of the families affected and fully supports Donna Ockenden and the West Mercia Police in gathering evidence to ensure justice is done.
Lucy Allan MP said:
"The scale of this scandal continues to grow with more and more families coming forward. These cases span a long period of time and it would be wrong to dismiss them as historic. There are cases presenting now that took place in 2018 and 2019 but equally there are women who are still suffering the impact of poor care which they experienced many years ago and there are young people growing up with brain injuries caused by poor care at birth. Some poor care was negligent. The failure to address the concerns perpetuated the culture of poor care.
It is clear that women felt unable to raise their concerns about their care - they accepted the professionals' explanation that child birth does not always go as planned. There is a power imbalance which can lead to a toxic culture where senior management dismiss concerns and where women trust the professionals and a poor standard of care is accepted. The accounts I have heard are deeply shocking.
I welcome a police inquiry."
If anyone has any information in relation to the police investigation they can contact the police:
- by email at: MajorIncidentUnit@westmercia.pnn.police.uk
- through the major incident public portal at: mipp.police.uk/operation/22HQ19D84-PO1
- or by calling 101.
Lucy has encouraged all affected families, or those who may have evidence to contact the independent review team at maternityreview@donnaockenden.com
