Medial negligence
56 baby deaths at NHS Trust could have been prevented, investigation reveals
At least 56 baby deaths, and those of two mothers, at an NHS Trust over the past five years could have been prevented, a new investigation has revealed.
The deaths occurred at the two maternity units within Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital – between January 2019 and July 2024.
A Freedom of Information request made by the BBC revealed that 27 stillbirths and 29 neonatal deaths could have been prevented, alongside the deaths of two mothers.
Separate statistics show that Leeds has the highest neonatal mortality rate in the UK.
The shocking findings come as yet more evidence of the need for reform in NHS maternity services, with recent research revealing that preventable harm in maternity units across the country is at risk of being “normalised”.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the state of maternity services a “cause for national shame”, which “in the pit of my stomach, (gives) a degree of anxiety”.
Campaigners are calling for a national inquiry into maternity services, to ensure systemic changes can be made, but calls are also being made for inquiries on a local level in areas across the country, such as with University Hospitals Sussex and Leeds.
Law firm Slater and Gordon is acting for parents across the country who have experienced poor standards of maternity care, including in Leeds.
Jodie Cook, senior associate at Slater and Gordon, who is based in Yorkshire, says: “Maternity services in the NHS are in a very poor state and these statistics from Leeds are shocking and give even more cause for concern. We hear first-hand from our clients every day about the dreadful and traumatic experiences they have had before, during and after childbirth due to poor care, and this cannot continue.
“The Health Secretary has highlighted the dire situation within maternity a number of times, but we have yet to see any action. Today’s statistics are yet another reminder of the urgent need to make changes – babies and mothers are dying, and their deaths could have been prevented. There surely cannot be any more evidence needed than that for Wes Streeting to take action today.”
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