Dozens More Parents Demand Maternity Care Inquiry

When Tassie Weaver went into labour astatine afloat term, she thought she was hours distant from holding her first child. But, by nan clip she was giving birth, she knew her boy had died.

Doctors had antecedently told Tassie to telephone her section maternity portion instantly erstwhile she went into labour, she says, because her precocious humor unit and concerns astir nan baby's maturation meant she needed monitoring.

But erstwhile she first phoned, contempt being considered precocious risk, a nurse told her to enactment astatine home.

Three hours later, worried she now could not consciousness her babe moving, she called again. Once much nan aforesaid nurse told her to enactment put - saying this was normal because women tin beryllium excessively distracted by their contractions to consciousness thing else.

"I was treated arsenic conscionable a benignant of panic female successful symptom who doesn't cognize what's going connected because it's their first pregnancy," nan 39-year-old tells us.

When she rang a 3rd time, a mates of hours later, a different nurse told her to travel to infirmary consecutive away, but by nan clip she arrived it was excessively late. Her son's bosom had stopped beating.

Tassie and her husband, John, judge Baxter's stillbirth 4 years agone astatine Leeds General Infirmary (LGI),could person been prevented. A reappraisal by nan NHS spot that runs nan infirmary identified attraction issues "likely to person made a quality to nan outcome".

The mates are among 47 caller families who person contacted nan BBC pinch concerns astir inadequate maternity attraction astatine Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust betwixt 2017 and 2024. These see parents who told america their babies died aliases had been injured, and women who described wounded and trauma pursuing inadequate care.

They had each seen our January investigation into nan perchance avoidable deaths of 56 babies and 2 mothers astatine nan spot betwixt 2019 and 2024.

Responding to nan latest concerns, LTH told nan BBC it was "deeply sorry" that families had been fto down by nan attraction they had received. It said it recognised it needed to make improvements.

The spot had taken "clear steps to make existent and lasting changes", said its main aesculapian serviceman Dr Magnus Harrison, since unannounced inspections successful December 2024 and January 2025 by England's regulator, nan Care Quality Commission (CQC).

"We are investing successful our workforce, focusing connected consistently safe staffing levels, and strengthening our civilization to prioritise openness, compassion and respect," he added.

As good arsenic nan caller families, 3 much whistleblowers - successful summation to nan 2 successful our first investigation - person besides shared concerns astir nan modular of attraction astatine LTH maternity units, astatine LGI and St James' University Hospital.

Both sites are rated "good" by nan CQC, but each nan whistleblowers judge that standing does not bespeak reality.

There is simply a problem pinch nan culture, 1 elder unit personnel told us. "People [staff] are frightened to raise concerns because thing ever happens erstwhile they are raised. So there's a 'what's nan point' attitude."

There were besides 107 objective claims made against LTH for obstetric-related deaths and injuries betwixt April 2015 and April 2024, nan BBC has learned via a Freedom of Information petition to NHS Resolution - nan wellness service's security arm.

More than £71m was paid during this play including for 14 stillbirths, and 13 fatalities involving mothers aliases babies, including Tassie's son, Baxter.

A full of 67 families person now told nan BBC they knowledgeable inadequate attraction astatine LTH's 2 maternity units. All want an independent reappraisal into nan trust's maternity services - and a group of them person asked Health Secretary Wes Streeting for elder nurse Donna Ockenden to lead it.

Some Leeds families besides joined others from crossed England this week, to impulse Mr Streeting to clasp a nationalist enquiry into maternity safety.

On Tuesday, he met parents who said they "got a very clear message" that he was considering one. Jack Hawkins, whose girl Harriet died successful 2016 successful Nottingham, told america afterwards: "The doorway is decidedly unlocked. It's nan only measurement we tin amended what's going on."

Mr Streeting had told a different group connected Monday, however, that he would not clasp an inquiry, preferring alternatively to denote a abstracted scheme - opposed by families - to amended safety.

The BBC understands specified a scheme would see an betterment taskforce led by non-NHS officials, a buddying strategy betwixt poorly performing and amended trusts, and a restorative justness attack wherever hospitals and families would meet and vow to beryllium unfastened and honest.

Mr Streeting continues to meet bereaved families "to champion understand really we tin amended maternity services arsenic swiftly arsenic possible", a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said successful a statement.

"We are finalising measures to fortify activity and build a civilization rooted successful safety, respect, and compassion successful maternity services," they added.

Tassie's attraction was graded "D" - nan lowest imaginable - by nan trust's reappraisal team.

It confirmed "the mother presented pinch reduced fetal movements but guidance was not appropriate".

"I knew that maine and my babe needed help, and I tried to pass that arsenic intelligibly arsenic I could, and I didn't get that help," Tassie says.

"I had different 17 hours successful labour… having to motion consent forms for a station mortem whilst having contractions trying to present my son, who I knew wasn't alive.

"That's not thing anyone should ever person to do."

Given her mixed risks, Tassie should person been offered an induction earlier, astatine 39 weeks, concluded nan reappraisal group.

The spot told america it offered "sincere apologies and condolences" to Ms Weaver and her family for their "distressing experiences and loss".

"Immediate soul and outer reviews of nan attraction provided were undertaken and we made a number of changes arsenic a consequence of this tragic case," added Dr Harrison.

Common themes were expressed many times by nan latest families to interaction america - including women emotion for illustration they had not been listened to erstwhile they raised concerns, a deficiency of compassion, and families saying nan spot made them consciousness for illustration they were unsocial successful their experience.

One mates paid an undisclosed colony by NHS Resolution connected behalf of nan spot was Heidi Mayman and her partner Dale Morton.

Heidi gave commencement to their first girl Lyla successful 2019, 2 years earlier Tassie gave commencement to Baxter. Lyla died aged 4 days.

Heidi believes her concerns were not taken earnestly during her "traumatic" labour. Lyla was calved successful mediocre information astir 37 hours aft Heidi says she first called nan LGI's maternity appraisal centre, reporting humor and fluid loss.

Heidi says she many times raised concerns astir reduced fetal movements and worsening symptom and, for illustration Tassie, made aggregate calls earlier being advised to attend.

"I conscionable wish she [Lyla] were here. I consciousness for illustration it's conscionable ruined our lives, I'll ne'er get complete it," Heidi told us.

The protocols nan midwives had grounded to travel were outlined, on pinch early information recommendations, successful an outer investigation by nan Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB).

Lyla's dad, Dale says nan investigation sounds "just for illustration a catalogue of errors".

In January, we reported that 27 stillbirths and 29 neonatal deaths astatine LTH betwixt 2019 and mid-2024 - positive 2 deaths of mothers - had been judged to person been perchance preventable by a spot reappraisal group.

The deaths reviewed included babies pinch congenital abnormalities - and newborns and mothers transferred aft commencement for master care. The spot said successful consequence to our first communicative that nan number of potentially-avoidable neonatal deaths had been "very small".

A elder objective unit personnel moving astatine nan spot - 1 of nan caller whistleblowers - told america inadequate staffing levels had led to what they described arsenic "near misses".

They besides said a babe had died unnecessarily connected 1 occasion, because issues had not been recognised earlier during nan mother's labour.

The spot does not "learn from their mistakes", they added, and often things are "swept nether nan carpet".

A afloat study of nan CQC's findings pursuing its inspections of nan trust's maternity and neonatal services, including each action it has told nan spot to take, is owed to beryllium published shortly.

The spot was fixed contiguous feedback regarding urgent concerns which required action to reside identified risks, nan CQC told us. It besides took enforcement action requiring nan implementation of safe staffing levels.

Two months aft our study successful January, NHS England placed LTH nether its maternity information support programme (MSSP) which useful to amended trusts wherever superior concerns person been identified.

"We are taking nan concerns raised by families astir nan value and information of maternity attraction successful Leeds incredibly seriously," main midwifery serviceman for England, Kate Brintworth, told us.

LTH's Dr Magnus Harrison said successful a statement: "We are afloat committed to ensuring that each family receives safe, respectful and compassionate care. We recognise we request to make improvements."

He added: "We person commissioned an independent outer reappraisal to complement NHS England's Peer Quality Review of our neonatal services, truthful that we tin amended understand nan information connected neonatal outcomes."

Do you person much accusation astir this story?

You tin scope Divya straight and securely done encrypted messaging app Signal on: +44 7961 390 325, by email astatine divya.talwar@bbc.co.uk, aliases her Instagram account.