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Shropshire NHS baby deaths - 215 cases now under review

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The maternity care provided to more than 200 families is being investigated as part of a widening review into a series of infant deaths and birth injuries at a Shropshire NHS Trust.

215 families have questioned the maternity care they received from Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust (SaTH), which is currently the subject of a government-ordered review. The review initially focused on 23 cases where babies had died or been injured while in the care of SaTH, with the scope of the review being expanded as more families raised concerns and further cases of potential failings in maternity care were identified.

In August, the review was extended to look at 40 cases of alleged maternity care failings that took place between 1998 and 2017, before being broadened to 100 cases and now 215. While it appears that not all of the cases under review relate to serious harm and death, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has now placed the Trust into special measures due to the growing concerns over patient safety.

According to reporting by the BBC, 91 families have expressed concerns directly to Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, with 36 of these cases involving families who said their baby died in the Trusts care and a further 22 relating to children alleged to have suffered permanent harm.

Who does the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust provide maternity services for?

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust provides hospital services for almost half a million people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales. They operate the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury. The Trust was already reporting to the Quality Commission because of concerns about maternity and emergency services at both of these hospitals before being placed into special measures.

If you or a family member received maternity care from the Trust and have concerns over the quality of care provided, you can contact SaTH directly to report your concerns or you can get in touch with the midwife leading the review, Donna Ockenden.

Claiming compensation for birth negligence

If your child has died or been seriously harmed due to failings in the maternity care you received, choosing to pursue compensation can be a very difficult decision. However, in many cases this is the only way to ensure you and your family have the support you need to move forward and rebuild your lives.

If your child has been left with permanent injuries as a result of negligent maternity care, compensation can provide the funds to pay for the care support they need to deal with the effects of their injuries and achieve the very best quality of life.

If your child has died due to maternity care negligence, compensation can pay for counselling, replace lost income if you need to take time off work and help to give you the space you need to deal with the emotional trauma you have experienced.

We recognise that this is a very difficult situation, so can offer empathetic, clear and practical support to help you pursue compensation under even the most challenging circumstances.

Our medical negligence solicitors are experts in birth negligence, being Tier 1 ranked by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners for our medical negligence expertise. Our expertise means we can help make it as simple as possible for you to navigate the claims process, while giving you the best chance of securing appropriate compensation.

For a free, confidential consultation with a member of our team, please get in touch.