Charity ‘very concerned’ after BBC report finds baby deaths ‘may have been prevented’
A pregnancy loss charity has expressed concern after a BBC investigation reported that the deaths of dozens of babies and two mothers in one NHS trust over the last five years might have been prevented.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust has two maternity units – at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital (pictured).
The maternity services are rated as “good” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the findings of a further report, sparked by concerns raised by families, are due to be published “shortly”, the watchdog said.
But two whistleblowers have told the BBC they believe the units are unsafe.
The broadcaster said data obtained in a Freedom of Information request revealed that there were at least 56 potentially preventable baby deaths from January 2019 to July 2024, made up of 27 stillbirths and 29 neonatal deaths.
A neonatal death is one that takes place within 28 days after birth.
The BBC said that a trust review group had identified care issues it considered may have made a difference to the outcome for babies in each case.
The broadcaster said the trust also recorded two possibly preventable maternal deaths in the same period.
The trust said the number of neonatal deaths recorded as “potentially avoidable” is very small and is in line with national rates.
But families told the BBC about what they saw as a lack of compassionate care at the trust.
Professor Phil Wood, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals said the “vast majority” of births at Leeds are safe and that the deaths of mothers and babies are “fortunately very rare”.
In a statement, he said: “We would like to apologise to the women and families who have described negative experiences to the BBC and offer our sincere condolences to those families who have lost loved ones.
“We are committed to providing high quality, inclusive, compassionate, and safe care to families who use our maternity services, and we are sorry to hear that on these occasions we did not deliver this.
“There were almost 50,000 births at Leeds hospitals between 2019 and July 2024.
“The vast majority of births at Leeds are safe, and deaths of mothers and babies are fortunately very rare.
“However, sometimes in healthcare, the outcomes are not always positive, and we know this can be incredibly distressing for families.
“When this happens, we thoroughly investigate the circumstances, always involving the family, to ensure we learn any lessons for the future.
“The number of neonatal deaths recorded as ‘potentially avoidable’ by the Trust is very small and is in line with national rates.
“All of these deaths are reviewed thoroughly. The process for recording these deaths as ‘potentially avoidable’ is designed to enable clinicians to identify areas of care and treatment which could be improved, and share learning, rather than attributing cause of death.”
The Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, a charity that supports anyone affected by pregnancy loss and the death of a baby, said: “The findings of the BBC’s investigation into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity services are very concerning, and they echo what numerous reports and reviews into the safety of maternity and neonatal services across the country have identified along similar themes.
“We understand that news reports like this can bring up all kinds of emotions and Sands is here to support anyone who has been affected by pregnancy or baby loss.”
The charity said the scale of pregnancy and baby loss is not inevitable and is calling for “a safer, personalised maternity system in England which sets ambitious targets to save babies’ lives”.
The CQC said: “Maternity services provided by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have been and continue to be subject to close oversight and we monitor quality and safety on an ongoing basis using a wide range of information – including feedback and experiences shared with us by families and hospital staff.
“The maternity services at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’ University Hospital were inspected last month in response to concerns raised by families and risks identified through our ongoing monitoring. The findings from that inspection will be published shortly.
“It is important to say however that our inspectors brief all providers on any immediate issues or concerns identified during an inspection in real time so work can begin to address these immediately.”
The BBC said families are calling for an independent review into the trust to ensure issues are identified and lessons learned, plus an independent, judge-led public inquiry to help improve maternity safety across England.
Katie Warner, a specialist maternity safety lawyer at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office representing some of the families affected by care issues, said that while they recognise maternity services in Leeds have been rated as good by the CQC, their clients remain concerned about the actual care families are receiving.
“They believe while paperwork is in place, these ‘tick boxes’ for when inspectors visit and care on the ground is different. Our families’ concerns include staff communication with families, and not listening to mums’ concerns.
“All the families want to ensure is that, where appropriate, no stone is left unturned in ensuring effective and lasting change is introduced to uphold patient safety for families.
“It’s likely that other families may be shocked and upset at this latest report. Therefore, it’s vital that others with concerns about their maternity receive the care and support they may need at this distressing time,” she said.
Downing Street said it expects any concerns to be taken seriously and that the Government is determined to learn lessons from recent investigations to ensure “safe, personalised and compassionate care” for all women and their babies.
“Our thoughts are with all those who tragically lost loved ones and the safety of patients is paramount,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman said.
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