Police Maternity Investigation To Interview Staff

A constabulary investigation into maternity services astatine 2 hospitals has started interviewing existent and erstwhile members of staff.

West Mercia Police began nan enquiry successful June 2020, while a reappraisal by elder nurse Donna Ockenden was ongoing - Ockenden would yet find location had been catastrophic failings astatine nan Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

The constabulary investigation was group up to research whether location was grounds to support a criminal lawsuit against nan spot aliases immoderate individuals involved.

The infirmary spot said it recognised it was important group get "the answers they person waited for" and that it was afloat cooperating pinch police.

The Ockenden enquiry examined maternity practices astatine Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust complete a play of 20 years.

Initially group up to analyse 23 cases, it was widened to see almost 1,600 cases wherever location were concerns complete maternity care.

It recovered nan failures whitethorn person led to nan deaths of much than 200 babies, 9 mothers and near different infants pinch life-changing injuries.

Hundreds of nan cases person been examined by constabulary officers progressive successful Operation Lincoln.

The elder serviceman successful nan constabulary investigation, Supt Carl Moore, said nan commencement of unit interviews represented a caller phase.

"We are committed to ensuring that nan families progressive are afloat informed astatine each shape of our enquiries," he said.

Jo Williams, nan main executive of nan spot which runs nan Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, said: "We are genuinely sorry for nan harm caused to those families who rightfully expected a safe acquisition nether our care, and who were fto down by us."

The spot besides said its maternity services would stay afloat unfastened during nan constabulary investigation.

It noted nan astir caller inspection of nan hospitals by nan CQC, successful 2023, rated nan maternity services arsenic "good" overall.

It said location had been improvements successful midwifery staffing levels, training, consequence assessments and nan measurement it listens to women and families.

But it said location would beryllium much alteration to travel and added: "We will proceed to activity pinch our colleagues, pinch families and pinch our section communities to supply nan champion standards of care."