Maternity Negligence Claims and NHS Service Failings
Maternity services in England have been making negative headlines
over the last few years. What is the current status of recent reviews
and plans to move forward?
Assessing the Problem
- The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation was established last year to identify ‘systemic failings’ following numerous previous reviews and complaints about maternity services in many NHS Trusts across the country. The initial findings, released last December, identified a range of concerns including failing to listen to women, discriminatory and poor-quality care.
- The recent Ockenden Report into maternity and neonatal services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust continued to find evidence of a ‘toxic culture’, staffing shortages, failing to listen, and inconsistent application of guidelines.
- The final report of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, released this summer, found further evidence of staffing shortages, high and complex demand on services, leadership failures, response failings when things go wrong, failing to listen to women and inequality as well as IT and Estates problems.
Moving Forward
- Recognising that maternity services are going through ‘a period of profound challenge’, The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists published a new Maternity Service Standards Framework last year. This aims to address the wide range of complex factors, including staffing, environments, communication and governance, which face maternity services in the current age and the need to support women through the ‘delivery of personalised, safe and compassionate care.’
- Following the AMOS report, NHS England has created an urgent 10-Point Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Services. This includes plans to improve governance, listening to mothers and staff, ensuring safety in services and addressing inequality. Additional funding for staffing and estates is to be provided and a National Action Plan should be published at the end of this year.
- As part of the above plan, Martha’s Rule, which originally developed following the death from sepsis of Martha Mills, and which entitles patients and families to request a rapid review of care, is to be rolled out to all maternity settings in England.
In the meantime, failings in care continue to affect the lives of new mothers and their babies.
Have you suffered from negligent maternity care?
If you or a loved one have suffered from negligent maternity care, speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
If an individual experiences substandard care which causes them to suffer a poor outcome from healthcare, they are legally entitled to claim compensation. This aims to address the pain, suffering and financial losses caused by the negligent care.
Free legal advice
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with many years’ experience in maternity claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim for compensation.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 (or from a mobile 01275 334030) or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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