Shropshire Maternity Scandal: 300 Babies Died or Had Brain Damage Due to Denied Caesarian Births

A five-year investigation on the Shropshire maternity scandal reported that 300 babies died or were left brain-damaged after their mothers were denied caesarian operations. The mothers were allegedly forced to undergo traumatic births due to an alleged preoccupation with hitting "normal birth" targets.

According to The Guardian, the report is from the experiences of 1,500 families at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital from 2000 to 2019. The report also showed that at least 12 mothers died while giving birth, while some families reported losing more than one child in separate accidents.

The Shropshire Maternity Scandal

In November 2019, The Medic Portal reported that some results from the interim inquiry at the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford were leaked to the press. The question investigated deaths and injuries of babies at the two hospitals from 1979 to the present.

The team, including Donna Ockendon, an expert midwife, led 90 midwives and doctors. She said that the group was "shocked and saddened" by the scale of the tragedy.

The review involved 1,800 cases from an initial of 23 families. The Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Telford Hospitals were then placed in special measures.

As per Shropshire Star, Ockendon has written to families affected by the investigation, saying that the final result of the inquiry will be published on March 30.

The second report is expected on March 30.

The first report examined 250 cases and was published in December 2020 and described findings of the experiences of mothers, fathers, and babies. It also provided recommendations on how to improve maternal health care across England.

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The second Shropshire Maternity Scandal report

The second report is expected to disclose that hundreds of babies are still stillborn, have died shortly after birth, or were left permanently brain-damaged. Many also had fractured skulls, broken bones or were left with life-changing disabilities.

The report is from the detailed findings from nearly 1,900 cases at the two leading hospitals in Shropshire, managed by Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

In the inquiry, Ockenden said that the team has seen families split apart, severe relationships, and had cases of trauma and PTSD for years and terrible sadness.

The midwife, who has more than 30 years of experience in maternity services, admitted to going back to the hotel room and crying after meeting the families.

Meanwhile, an NHS spokesperson that its health service will continue delivering 1,600 babies each day while striving to provide safe and compassionate maternity services. It allocated an additional £127m (USD 167,519,223) to improve its maternity workforce and workplace culture.

Last year, NHS also provided £95m (or USD125,309,655) to establish 1,300 new maternity roles with further training and leadership development programs. The spokesperson said they had seen clear progress in improving outcomes and experiences for women and families. However, NHS admits that more improvements still need to be made. Meanwhile, the agency also assured that they would be taking further action to ensure all women and babies are provided the best possible care.

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