Better Nhs Care Might Have Saved 58 Babies, Bbc Finds

At slightest 58 babies astatine an NHS maternity portion mightiness person survived pinch amended care, a BBC investigation has found.

The deaths included 32 stillbirths and 26 neonatal deaths - which is simply a decease wrong 28 days - astatine Oxford University Hospitals Trust (OUH) betwixt 2019 and 2024, according to a Freedom of Information request.

Bereaved and harmed mothers person blamed missed chances, "arrogance" among immoderate elder doctors and a "defensive culture".

In a statement, OUH said it was sorry immoderate mothers person had experiences that person near them emotion this way.

It added nan figures included mothers and babies who were referred to nan spot for master attraction from crossed nan region and each babe decease was reviewed successful item to "fully understand what happened and whether improvements are required".

Eleanor Taylor-Verlaan is booked successful for a Caesarean conception adjacent month, 2 days aft nan day of nan decease of her first girl successful 2017.

Baby Alissa suffered terrible encephalon harm owed to a deficiency of oxygen caused by nan placenta coming distant from nan womb wall.

Eleanor believes pinch amended attraction her girl mightiness still beryllium alive.

"They should've sewage maine successful consecutive away, they should've seen maine arsenic soon arsenic I turned up to infirmary because I was classed arsenic precocious risk, they should person listened to nan midwives that were watching that CTG (cardiotocography) rather intimately but everything sewage overruled [by nan doctors]," she told nan BBC.

Eleanor, 27, from Faringdon, Oxfordshire, said her 20-week scan detected she was astatine a higher consequence of complications including maturation restriction, pre-eclampsia and stillbirth, but she was not intimately monitored.

At 35 weeks, she complained to midwives astir abdominal pains and sickness but was told to enactment astatine location and return paracetamol.

On 20 February 2017, aft waiting much than 2 hours successful nan maternity appraisal unit, her babe was delivered by emergency C-section successful a mediocre condition. Alissa passed distant six weeks later.

An soul review, seen by nan BBC, identified immoderate attraction issues but concluded it was improbable they would person "improved nan result for this baby".

Eleanor said she did not cognize really to inquire for an independent investigation astatine nan clip but now hopes to situation nan findings pinch nan thief of commencement wounded lawyers.

Laura Cook, a partner astatine Medilaw, told nan BBC: "They transportation retired a tick-box workout pinch soul reviews to look for illustration thing could person been done, it forces families to spell to lawyers who past find there's much to it... it puts families done hell.

"What stands retired pinch Oxford is its defensiveness, it's clear that estimation is of nan upmost importance, it's not nan aforesaid pinch different trusts."

The spot said it recognises immoderate families stay dissatisfied and it takes feedback seriously.

The BBC investigation besides found:

OUH said its claims-per-birth complaint was among nan lowest compared to akin trusts that grip nan astir analyzable cases.

It added compensation figures often related to incidents from galore years earlier and tin beryllium skewed by 1 aliases 2 high-value cases involving life-long attraction needs.

Between 2019 and 2024, OUH carried retired 361 soul reviews into babe deaths - known arsenic Perinatal Mortality Review Tools (PMRTs).

At slightest 58 cases were graded C aliases D, indicating that different attraction either "may" person aliases was "likely" to person made a quality to nan outcome.

The CQC was fixed powers to prosecute trusts for superior failures successful attraction successful 2015, to day location person been 5 prosecutions.

Alice Topping had besides been identified arsenic precocious consequence for complications astatine her 20-week scan and had been referred by her nurse for an other scan astatine 40 weeks owed to concerns astir her baby's growth.

When she was not contacted, she many times tried to book 1 in, calling 44 times successful 1 day.

But Alice says nan petition was turned down by a advisor who told her nan spot prioritises scans astatine 36 weeks instead.

A week later her girl Smokey died during labour astatine nan John Radcliffe Hospital successful Oxford successful September 2023.

"At nan astir susceptible clip successful my full life I was failed... it's conscionable horrific knowing that pinch conscionable basal attraction my girl should beryllium here, that's not acceptable," Alice said.

She said an soul reappraisal recovered nan spot did thing wrong, but an independent investigation showed "a catalogue of failings" and made 5 information recommendations which "could person made a quality to nan outcome".

Alice believes captious accusation astir her consequence was kept from her, she says bereaved and harmed families "deserve answers, truth and change".

In 2023, nan twelvemonth Alice mislaid her daughter, OUH had nan highest stillbirth complaint compared to 25 master trusts that attraction for nan sickest babies.

According to nan latest figures from MBRRACE-UK - which monitors and investigates nan deaths of mothers and babies - its stillbirth complaint successful 2024 fell somewhat from 3.6 to 3.47 per 1,000 births which was successful statement pinch comparable trusts while its wide mortality rates were beneath mean for akin units.

The spot sees much than 7,000 births a year, nan immense mostly are safe and galore women person reported receiving bully care.

The wellness watchdog, nan Care Quality Commission (CQC), inspected nan trust's main maternity portion astatine nan John Radcliffe Hospital successful Oxford successful 2021 aft 5 whistleblowers contacted them raising concerns astir bullying and dysfunctional teams.

Its standing was downgraded from Good to Requires Improvement.

Since then, OUH has been receiving targeted maternity support from NHS England which will stay successful spot until June.

NHS England said this was to "ensure timely induction of labour decision-making and strengthening of guidance and oversight to amended nan information and value of attraction for women, babies and families".

CQC inspectors returned successful October 2025, but nan results person not yet been published.

It issued a informing announcement connected 8 December 2025 aft nan CQC identified 5 breaches of ineligible regulations successful narration to safe attraction and treatment, premises and equipment, bully governance and staffing.

'Accountability and answers'

Hundreds of campaigners are calling for a judge-led nationalist enquiry into OUH.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting granted independent reviews into infirmary trusts successful Leeds and Sussex but truthful acold location are nary plans for an investigation successful Oxford.

Michelle Welsh MP, who chairs nan All Party Parliamentary Group connected Maternity, says that needs to change: "There is simply a systematic toxic civilization location that needs tackling and families merit accountability and answers."

A spokesperson for nan Department for Health and Social Care said Baroness Amos would "set retired clear steps to amended maternity and neonatal attraction crossed England".

"NHSE has besides placed OUH connected a programme to supply rapid, targeted support to maternity services, pinch regular meetings bringing together infirmary leaders and nationalist experts to make judge advancement is being made," nan spokesperson said.

Responding to our investigation, Simon Crowther, interim main executive for OUH, said nan stories shared pinch nan BBC were "tragic" and he recognised nan lasting effect of losing a child.

He said nan spot was consenting to look astatine Eleanor's lawsuit again and urged her to interaction them.

He added that Alice's lawsuit was analyzable and had been examined by respective independent bodies.

"The spot remains afloat committed to learning from each family's acquisition and to continually improving nan information and value of maternity care," he said.

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You tin scope Katharine straight by email astatine katharine.dacosta@bbc.co.uk aliases her Instagram account