‘Enough’ says Helen Morgan after latest damning maternity review

Helen Morgan told Parliament ‘this must be the moment we say enough’ as she made a powerful speech after the publication of another damning maternity review.

[You can watch Helen's speech below]

The North Shropshire MP and Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson said mothers, doctors and midwives were “sick” of seeing the same failures repeated four years on from the publication of the Ockenden review of the Shropshire baby deaths scandal.

Today (June 24) Donna Ockenden’s inquiry into maternity services in Nottingham was published, revealing “deeply embedded systemic failures” affecting hundreds of families and 260 babies. 

Speaking during a House of Commons Statement on the inquiry, Helen Morgan told the Health Secretary:

“I am distressed and I am angry to be stood here once again speaking about babies who should never have lost their lives, mothers who should not have lost their lives and trauma that families should not have experienced. 

“Review after review has led to 748 recommendations since 2015. But birth injury and mortality rates continue to rise.  

“These reviews all reveal similar issues: unsafe staffing levels, lessons not learned, issues not escalated, insufficient training, and women’s concerns ignored.  

“Four years ago, the Shrewsbury review found that 200 babies had died unnecessarily in Shropshire. Yet things have got worse.”

Helen praised the “incredible” courage and resilience of the families who brought about the Nottingham review, in a similar manner to how families in Shropshire had to fight for Donna Ockenden’s review into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

Helen has long campaigned for improved maternity care and has worked with cross-party MPs as part of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on baby loss, maternity, birth trauma and patient safety.

Helen added: 

“Anger isn’t enough. Mothers, doctors and midwives are sick of seeing review after review and being met with stasis. The same failures repeated over and over again.

“This must be the moment we say: enough.”

As Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care, Helen has called for a package of policies to be taken to ensure Britain is the safest country in the world to have a baby.

NOTES

Video and audio of Helen speaking in the House of Commons is available on her social media or via Parliament.tv.

The Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to the Hillsborough Bill, requiring members of hospital boards to whistleblow when they see reports of systemic medical malpractice, as took place in Nottingham. The amendment can be found here.

The party has tabled similar amendments to the Health Bill, which would provide new powers for coroners and medical examiners to report suspected health system failings.

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning for a £600m maternity rescue package that would deliver 1-1 midwifery care for every woman in labour and guarantee 24/7 consultant presence at every maternity unit. The full Lib Dem proposal can be found here.