More cases of alleged poor care at beleaguered maternity unit, report says
More than 100 cases of alleged poor care are to be reviewed at a beleaguered maternity unit, it has been reported.
The number of cases at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust to be considered by an independent review has risen to 104, the Health Service Journal (HSJ) said.
Senior midwife Donna Ockenden was appointed last year to review 23 cases of alleged poor maternity care at the NHS trust.
The trust has said it has also written to 12 other families to seek permission for their care to be reviewed as there “may be potential for further learning”.
The HSJ said a number of new cases are from families who came forward following media coverage, adding that others have been identified from coroners’ inquests, incident records and other documentation.
NHS Improvement said it is committed to ensuring the trust can learn from “the historical cases of concern”, but could not confirm the number of cases due to be considered.
Dr Kathy McLean, executive medical director and chief operating officer of NHS Improvement, said: “At this stage, we are unable to confirm how many historical cases will be considered under our independent review.
“We are examining in detail anything that may be relevant, ensuring that possible duplication is taken into account.
“Also, it is important that in any historical investigations that we consider, appropriate consent from the family members is obtained in advance.
“We will confirm further details about our review as soon as we are able to.”
Deirdre Fowler, director of Nursing, Midwifery and Quality at the trust, told the BBC: “We recognise that, taken in isolation, the number of cases which are being considered may cause concern or anxiety for families currently using our services.
“It is important that any families who have any questions or concerns over their care are given the chance to have them explored.”
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