Because the proof of failing maternity companies seems to be mounting, the Authorities is now pledging to prioritise enhancements to maternity care as a part of it’s womens well being technique for 2024.

The Secretary for Well being and Social Care, Victoria Atkins, talking at a Ladies’s Well being Summit in London this month, detailed a few of her personal experiences of the NHS stating that she had seen a few of its ‘darker corners’, one in all these being when she was pregnant. 

She additionally referred to worrying latest information printed by MBRRACE-UK  (Moms and Infants: Decreasing Threat by Audits and Confidential Enquiries) which reveals that maternal loss of life charges within the UK have risen to the highest ranges in 20 years.

The MBRRACE information additional reveals that the maternal loss of life charge of ladies from black ethnic backgrounds stays virtually 3 times better than that of white girls. Charges are additionally increased for these residing in additional disadvantaged areas.

The Well being Secretary identified that, though not all of the deaths within the newest MBRRACE information can be linked to poor maternity care, ‘many can be. And this should cease‘.

As a part of the Authorities drive, she introduced the creation of a ‘problem’ fund of £50 million to sort out inequalities throughout maternity companies.

Impression of employees shortages

This week’s BBC Panorama programme ‘Midwives underneath stress’ has shone one more highlight on the issues inside maternity companies, focussing on the impression of staffing shortages and alleged cultural issues inside the NHS. The programme detailed incidents inside Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Belief however confused that issues had been countrywide.

Sadly, as a specialist start damage solicitor, I’m aware of the difficulties being confronted in maternity departments and the way devastating the impacts could be. In response to the programme, Gill Watson, chief government of the Royal Faculty of Midwives (RCM), has printed an announcement calling on the Authorities to hearken to employees working in, and ladies utilizing, maternity companies and to take motion.

In it she says ‘we now have heard too many tales and skim too many experiences all elevating the identical purple flags round employees shortages, lack of coaching and considerations raised which are ignored by these in cost, but nonetheless there may be little progress.’

She additionally states: ‘Staffing shortages undoubtedly compromise security, one thing that’s lengthy been highlighted by the RCM, and by many opinions into failing maternity companies.’

A public inquiry?

Whereas there have been a number of impartial investigations into maternity failures within the final decade, there are actually requires a statutory public inquiry into England’s maternity companies. Nonetheless, as issues stand, there are not any printed plans for such an inquiry.

Nonetheless, there’s a present nationwide technique to enhance maternity companies and this consists of impartial investigations working carefully with households and employees. These days all NHS Trusts are required to report sure affected person security incidents in maternity care to Maternity & New child Security Investigations (MNSI) , now being run by the Care High quality Fee (CQC). MNSI perform the impartial investigations and make suggestions to enhance companies at each a neighborhood degree and throughout the entire maternity healthcare system. They state clearly that they ‘don’t place blame on people’.

At Kingsley Napley we characterize the households of these affected by negligent care in maternity departments, together with these whose infants have suffered a mind damage and people whose circumstances are being investigated by the MNSI. We search to supply the very best degree of help to our purchasers whereas navigating the usually advanced route by medical negligence claims for compensation. There are particulars of our work on our webpage right here.

All issues thought of, we hope that the most recent Authorities pledge to maternity companies will result in actual change.

FURTHER INFORMATION

In case you have any questions, please contact James Bell in our Medical Negligence and Private Harm group. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Bell is the pinnacle of our Medical Negligence and Private Harm apply and joined the agency in 2023 from Hodge, Jones & Allen. He has undertaken medical negligence circumstances for over 20 years.