The Government has announced that there will be an independent inquiry into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
Decisions regarding the chair, scope, criteria and terms of reference have yet to be taken, but the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has said he would like this inquiry to get underway as soon as possible.
In response to this announcement, Brendan Brown, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I would like to reiterate an unreserved apology to families whose babies have sadly died or who have had a poor experience when receiving care in our hospitals.
“As the new Chief Executive of the Trust, I would like to take this opportunity to confirm our commitment to working openly, honestly and transparently with the inquiry team and with families who have used our services. We hope this inquiry will provide answers for those families who have been seeking them.
“We know that in the past we have not listened to families well enough, or responded to their concerns compassionately, and we are determined to do better. We want to work with the families who have used our services to understand their experiences so that we can make real and lasting improvements.
“I would also like to reassure families in Leeds who will be using our services currently, that we are already taking significant steps to address improvements to our maternity and neonatal services, following reviews by the Care Quality Commission and NHS England. However, we know there is still much more to do, and we are absolutely committed to ensuring that every family receives safe, compassionate, inclusive, and high quality care.”
If you are a family with concerns about your current care, please ask to speak to your midwife, or the Matron, Team Leader or Ward Manager for the area you are currently in, or where you are receiving care. If you wish to raise concerns about your care and share any feedback with us, you can also do this by emailing [email protected]
Further information on the independent inquiry can be found here: Independent Inquiry into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals
FAQs for families using our maternity and neonatal services