201 babies and 9 women died, 94 babies with life changing injuries, all avoidable

[Lovelyricepudding]

At one hospital. Who knows about other hospitals? A system set up for internal investigation that looked like it may have been designed to avoid external involvement.

This is the state of maternity care in the UK.

Atrocious. Sajid Javid just committed to setting out in his new health strategy how women will be listened to in the health service. I hope he gets it right.

Absolutely appalling.

It does not surprise me at all. I tried to complaining about my care at my local hospital and i was told get a solicitor and be prepared for your medical details to be shared with the media. I went silent to my shame. There is no accountability and there is zero care just protection for themselves. If this culture isn’t changed then more will die unnecessarily.

Devastating. Over 200 people dead and nearly a 100 left disabled because of incompetence, arrogance and ideology. However like a pp says I am not surprised.

BTW by ideology I mean:

1. Austerity and budget cuts by the government
2. Systematic misogyny, both in society and in the NHS
3. The "normal" and natural labour as a default

Horrific. Just absolutely horrific.

My son was born in a traumatic 'natural birth gone wrong' and I feel that we experienced a near miss that night.
I can't believe that 20 years later it has not improved and the problems seem to remain.

@MrsPear

It does not surprise me at all. I tried to complaining about my care at my local hospital and i was told get a solicitor and be prepared for your medical details to be shared with the media. I went silent to my shame. There is no accountability and there is zero care just protection for themselves. If this culture isn’t changed then more will die unnecessarily.

That's awful. I don't blame you at all for letting it drop. Most women would due to self protection.

@BattenbergdowntheHatches

Sadly, I do not think this will come as a big surprise to anyone who has experienced NHS maternity care. It is absolutely scandalous and it plainly cannot, or will not, be improved.

My children were born in different hospitals in different LAs. Going by the care I received I could have been in two different countries - one hospital was appalling - crowded and run-down with callous, misogynist staff and horrible procedures and behaviour at all levels. It was brutal, frankly. The other was amazing: woman-centred, supportive, caring and compassionate throughout, and the facilities excellent.

So I think it hugely depends on individual trusts/LAs/hospitals. At least in my experience. This disparity shouldn't be the case, of course. All women should have access to the kind of excellent care that the NHS is plainly capable of offering.

The bravery of the two mothers who initiated the investigation cannot be underestimated.

Eight seperate bodies were involved in inspecting care at the trust and all found nothing to be concerned about.

It is only thanks to Rhiannon Davies and Kayleigh Griffiths that this investigation was ever instigated.

Eight? What did they actually do to miss so much? I can guess one thing they didn't do - speak to the women.

Eight?!

What will happen to all of those who failed to properly investigate?

Both of my children were born in Telford hospital, in the period covered by this report, so I've been aware of the investigation and its been reported in the local press that it was happening etc. I haven't been able to bring myself to actually read the report yet, the headlines on the radio this morning were pretty horrifying. My heart breaks for all of the families affected.

@Xoxoxoxoxoxox

My son was born in a traumatic 'natural birth gone wrong' and I feel that we experienced a near miss that night. I can't believe that 20 years later it has not improved and the problems seem to remain.

Ditto. DD and I have permanent scars from a Shrewsbury hospital delivery in 2007. I count myself lucky she didn't die or suffer more serious injuries. It's been a really emotional day for me today, thinking of what could have been and thinking of all the live lost and families destroyed by that place.

@Gingernaut

The bravery of the two mothers who initiated the investigation cannot be underestimated.

Eight seperate bodies were involved in inspecting care at the trust and all found nothing to be concerned about.

It is only thanks to Rhiannon Davies and Kayleigh Griffiths that this investigation was ever instigated.

Yes definitely. The maddening thing is that had they been listened to earlier so many lives would have been saved.

I tend not to dwell, mainly because I don't actually know all the details but during delivery of my first the mw said "I'm not supposed to do this, but I've got to." And cut the umbilical cord whilst she was still inside, I'm presuming because the cord was so tight it couldn't be unlooped (and would also explain the difficulty in delivering as she kept slipping back up) I guess it could have been a very different outcome, very easily.

Horrific, frightening but sadly unsurprising.

to all who were also affected not just at the hospital's involved but elsewhere.

I was almost killed by a midwife at the only maternity hospital in my entire health board (yep that's right only 1 for an entire health board) I can't fault the paramedics who delivered my ds or the staff in the ICU and HDU nor those who looked after ds in the NICU but the midwife who decided that she knew better than the consultant (who wanted to surgically removed the placenta) thought it would be a good idea to manually remove my placenta whilst I was semi conscious without even talking to me first and caused me to bleed out and needing emergency surgery and 8 pints of blood transfused I don't even hold 8 pints of blood.
The hospital "lost" all my records and notes I can never have another child because of them (thankfully he was my 2nd ) and I didn't even get an apology. They are gaslighting abusive *insert expletives who all cover for each other

Hoardasurass that is absolutely bloody horrific, I am so sorry

to all the women and children who have suffered in all this. They'd better bloody well know what 'women' they're talking about 'listening to' for the purposes of sorting this awful mess out.

So awful. Just words. Can’t describe

The most dangerous time in a woman’s and child’s life Birth

So sorry for all of you
💐💐💐

for anyone affected by poor care at this Trust or any others.

I've never forgotten the bitch of a midwife who told me after a horrible delivery not to expect special treatment because I was a nurse. But I'm lucky that I have 3 healthy children.

Why oh why are women dismissed? No one suggests doing prostrate surgery without an anaesthetic or pain control do they?

Thank you @Artichokeleaves I count myself as 1 of the lucky women, I know dozens who had much worse outcomes and injuries that have ruined their lives and others that have lost children I honestly believe that if a report was done into our trust it would be as bad if not worse than this.
I do wonder why we put up with this sort of treatment but then I remember that women aren't allowed to complain

Not a bit surprised at this and the only thing that staggers me is that still people bang on about 'our wonderful NHS'. It's third world. Had a midwife sneer at me for having blow dried my hair and put make up on when I went in, at their request, early labour for a check on mucus plug. She said you won't be looking like that in twelve hours. My dh removed her from the room and insisted she didn't get near me again in labour.

@Gingernaut

The bravery of the two mothers who initiated the investigation cannot be underestimated.

Eight seperate bodies were involved in inspecting care at the trust and all found nothing to be concerned about.

It is only thanks to Rhiannon Davies and Kayleigh Griffiths that this investigation was ever instigated.

This comment 100%. The words of Rhiannon and Kayleigh -

'This report will now be our legacy – it is for Pippa and Kate, and for all those other families that have been through the worst thing any of us can ever go through. At least now, our families will have real answers.'

www.independent.co.uk/voices/shrewsbury-hospital-scandal-baby-deaths-b2046523.html

to all those affected