Each year, more than 8,500 babies are born in Leeds, and our neonatal teams look after those who are poorly and need additional care. While many families have safe and positive experiences, we know that this is not the experience for everyone, and we are working hard to improve this.
Our priority is to ensure that every parent and baby receives the safe, respectful, and compassionate care they deserve, working closely with families and listening to concerns.
We have put together some information below which we hope will answer some of your concerns, but if you have more questions or would like to talk to someone, we are here to support you.
What is the independent review of maternity and neonatal services in Leeds?
The independent review into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity and neonatal units was announced by the Secretary of State in October 2025. In March 2026 it was announced that the review would be chaired by Donna Ockenden, who has chaired the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust maternity review. We understand that the review team will begin individual clinical case reviews from August 2026; this will be confirmed when the terms of reference for the review have been finalised and published.
You can find out more about the review here.
If you have any further questions about the independent review, please contact the Trust by emailing [email protected]
Is it safe for me to have my baby in a Leeds hospital?
We understand that some families may be feeling worried or uncertain about giving birth at St James’s University Hospital or Leeds General Hospital, or about their baby being cared for in our neonatal units.
Your baby’s safety and your emotional wellbeing matter deeply to us. We want to be open about how care is provided and what you can expect, so you can make the choices that feel right for you.
At both St James’s University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), our teams are focused on providing safe, compassionate neonatal care. When a baby needs a higher level of specialist support, they may be transferred to the LGI. Babies who no longer need intensive care or high dependency care will be moved from the LGI to St James’s, which specialises in special care baby unit level care for families, and is a more suitable environment for these babies. These transfers are carried out by EMBRACE, a highly trained specialist service that transports babies and children as safely as possible.
What type of care is provided in the neonatal unit at LGI?
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at LGI provides intensive care, high dependency care and specialist surgical care for babies from across the region. This unit is for babies with the highest need for support.
What type of care is provided in the neonatal unit at St James’s University Hospital?
The unit at St James’s is a special care baby unit (SCBU), which is where we care for babies who do not need intensive care, but may need more monitoring, oxygen, or help feeding.
Why are the maternity and neonatal services in Leeds still split between two sites?
For many years, the Trust has been working to reduce risks within our maternity and neonatal services, including making the case for bringing all care together on a single, modernised hospital site. A new hospital which centralised these services would mean babies receive the care they need in one place, without the risks associated with transfers.
Although this work was originally approved in 2019, the national New Hospital Programme has since been rescheduled, with a proposed start date for the Leeds hospital of 2032 at the earliest. While we wait for this programme to progress, we continue to take every possible step to manage risk and strengthen safety across our current sites.
What did the Care Quality Commission ask the Trust to change?
The Trust had been given approval by the regional Neonatal Operational Delivery Network to provide additional levels of care in the neonatal unit at St James’s University Hospital.
In January 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) asked the Trust to stop providing these additional elements of care, and we acted immediately in line with their request. This does mean that since then, more babies have needed to be transferred between hospitals.
The Trust is working with NHS England to increase the number of neonatal staff and reduce the need for transfers.
Will you listen to me if I have a concern or complaint?
Yes – your voice really matters to us. We always take concerns raised by patients, families and staff very seriously and we are always looking for ways we can improve.
If you are a family with concerns about your current or recent 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. Alternatively, you can contact the PALS team on 0113 206 6261 or email [email protected]
If you wish to raise concerns about your care and share any feedback with us, you can also do this by emailing [email protected]
We work together with Leeds Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) to make improvements using feedback from the experiences of our patients. MNVP parent representatives regularly visit our wards and departments to gain feedback from families directly. Anyone wishing to get involved in the work of the MNVP can contact: [email protected] or join their Facebook group.
We are also holding listening events with families, and reviewing our complaints process to ensure we are listening and understanding our patients’ experiences, and working with them to identify ways to improve their care.
Can I change the hospital that I want to give birth in?
Moving your care to another hospital is entirely your choice, and we can support you if you wish to explore other options. You can ask to change the Trust or hospital at any point in your pregnancy and you have the option to choose a hospital or birth centre that is further away from where you live. Before you ask to transfer your care, you need to check that your chosen hospital, birth centre or home birth team can take over your care. Once you have done this, please contact your midwife at Leeds Teaching Hospitals so that they can provide you with information about sharing your notes with your new hospital.
How do I request my maternity notes?
If you would like to access your maternity health records or birth notes after you have had your baby, please complete an application form on our website and provide a copy of identification by email to: [email protected]. The link to the application form is here: Access to Personal Data Application Form