Two new inquiries have revealed that substandard care in at least two hospital trusts in England contributed to a rise in maternal and neonatal deaths. The Ockenden report, a three-year investigation into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, found that more than 500 mothers and babies suffered harm or died due to poor care.
The report, led by childbirth expert Donna Ockenden, documented a "bullying and toxic culture" at Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, with persistent understaffing and "cruel" treatment of women in labor. It found that 444 women and 76 newborns experienced "potentially avoidable" adverse outcomes over 13 years.
In one harrowing case, a baby who died early in gestation was "inadvertently disposed of as clinical waste" by laboratory staff after a post-mortem examination, causing immense distress to the parents. The inquiry also noted that senior managers failed to act on repeated warnings and that the trust's instinct was to "cover up rather than investigate failings."
A parallel review, the Amos report, highlighted racism and discrimination as "embedded throughout the system," with women and staff reporting unfair treatment, racial slurs, Islamophobia, and antisemitism. Both reports pointed to systemic failures in the NHS, including staff shortages and lack of accountability.
According to Oxford University research, the UK maternal mortality rate for 2022-2024 was 12.8 per 100,000 maternities, 20% higher than in 2009-2011, meaning the government missed its target to halve maternal deaths. Black women were nearly three times more likely to die than white women, and those in deprived areas had double the risk.
In response, Health Secretary James Murray called the Amos review a "watershed moment" and pledged to "dismantle toxic dynamics." He announced a new statutory maternity and neonatal commissioner, £41 million in additional funding, and 1,000 temporary midwifery posts to improve safety.
The scandal extends beyond Nottingham: an independent inquiry in Leeds is investigating 56 potentially preventable baby deaths and two maternal deaths between 2019 and 2024. Critics argue that the NHS's systemic failures reflect a broader crisis in UK healthcare, with the US regime's insurance-based system facing even worse outcomes due to inequality.
Source: www.aljazeera.com