An incredibly important piece from Hannah Barnes, echoing much of what our users tell us about their experiences of maternity care and birth trauma

A brave, brilliant and deeply thought-provoking article by Hannah Barnes in the The New Statesman. A tragically sad indictment of UK Maternity care in the 21st century. This should be a compulsory read for every single, Midwife, Obstetrician and NHS Manager.

Does RCOG now accept that having caesarean 🎯 rates was a mistake?
Ranee Thakar 'It’s difficult for me to say years later, whether it was a mistake or not'
Do you mean that obstetricians didn't know that limiting access to caesareans would cause death & injuries?
Hard to believe

This is one of the best overviews of everything wrong in England's maternity services that I've ever read. It covers all the main issues IMO.

Thank you Hannah Barnes for writing and for including me & Bea. It is very brave of you to share your own birth trauma experience ❤️

Heartbreakingly brilliant article here from Hannah Barnes:

'One crucial area of improvement does not cost money at all. It requires a shift in attitude to one where women are treated with respect, listened to and allowed to make informed decisions about their bodies and babies.'

Maternity lawyers claim the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton has a culture of 'failing to learn from mistakes' with repeated themes cropping up time and time again

They have lost faith in the trust over its willingness to improve
derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-new…

However, I disagree that we need to implement findings of local investigations before doing a #MaternityInquiry Maternity Safety Alliance:

1) local reviews have limited ToR and are not set up to address national problems.

2) we want to implement local findings while a PI is underway.

I welcome this comment from Wes Streeting MP. He clearly understands there is a system-wide problem in maternity care - something the government continues to deny.

I'm also pleased he recognises this is not just a staffing issue, and that culture and listening are critical.

Another horrific and preventable baby death at University Hospitals Sussex - Esme died after her mum repeatedly called for help because of stabbing pains and bleeding. Mum Chloe was told to 'live her life' and 'go to Waitrose' when she was suffering with a deadly placental abruption.

'The hospital conducted an investigation which found 10 missed opportunities. It was confirmed, that I had a placenta abruption. It was also discovered that I had polyhydramnios which went undetected'

mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/n… our friends sharing the story of their baby girl Esme who sadly passed away under the care of Worthing Hospital 5 months after Orlando 💔 they too are wanting a local Trust and National Maternity Inquiry into midwifery care.

The CQC is failing in its basic responsibilities to regulate maternity care: inspections not fit for purpose, hospitals rated 'outstanding' despite avoidable baby deaths, and the public being misled.

Emily Barley writes today: conservativehome.com/2024/04/05/emi…

Shame on Victoria Atkins as our health secretary for not contributing. Babies and mothers are dying daily, on your watch. You must do more to stop this.

Thank you ITV News Central Nancy Cole Charlotte Cross for continuing to raise the alarm on maternity care in the UK. Losing your baby because of failings by the NHS is a pain I cannot explain and we can only hope one day, we will all be heard Maternity Safety Alliance

Apparently there's more money, more staff, and new computer systems for the NHS - but zero mention here by Rt Hon Andrew Stephenson MP of the increases in mothers and babies dying, and no action to tackle failing maternity services.

It's just not good enough. Time for a #MaternityInquiry

Another league table of shame for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust Maternity services. The 4th worst Trust in the country for delayed inductions of labour. Yet another area of significant clinical concern that I whistleblew about back in 2019. hsj.co.uk/quality-and-pe…

Instead of engaging with the issues raised by Dr Bill Kirkup and Alison Moore about the at times brutal process families whose babies died because of negligence at East Kent are being forced into, Maria Caulfield MP has... blocked a journalist!? Shameful.

Of course what we all really want is these tragedies never to happen in the first place . But if they do human beings cannot be reduced to fodder for the safety system to learn on. Responses need to be wider than this, human, laced with respect, concern and dignity .

No spaces for honouring the life and worth of the patient, no ‘Bending over backwards’ to try to do something, anything, to help with the harms and hardships caused to people , just a ‘learning response’ ( often with swerving responsibility re impacts) .. it hurts.

I have been saying for a long time that the narrative “ All patients and families want is for us to learn and stop it happening to someone else” is not correct. Learning is important but when that’s all there is, with no space for reverence over the devastating loss,