Maternity expert to help work to 'rebuild trust' between Shropshire hospital trust and hurt families

Donna Ockenden, who led a wide-ranging review into failings in maternity services at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH), revealed earlier this week that some bereaved and harmed families felt let down at a lack of engagement from the trust.

Mrs Ockenden said a number of families had told her there had been "zero communication" from SaTH following the publication of her shocking findings in 2022.

Mrs Ockenden's report found 60 areas where improvements could be made at SaTH, and identified 201 cases of stillbirth and neonatal deaths that could have been avoided if better care had been provided.

The report contained a series of actions for improvements at the trust, and in the wider NHS.

After meeting with the families in Shrewsbury earlier this week Mrs Ockenden had discussions with officials from SaTH – with Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, also present.

Mrs Ockenden said that she had 'kept her promise' to feed back what the families had reported about their experiences.

Speaking following the meeting she said: "We have agreed that the trust now needs significant help rebuilding the trust between themselves and the affected and harmed families within the review."

Mrs Ockenden, who is currently carrying out a review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, said Shropshire families she had spoken to had specifically asked her to come back and help with discussions in the future.

She said she had agreed, and added: "I will be coming back by the end of August and I will help with re-opening communication between the trust and affected families."

Following the meeting a spokeswoman for SaTH said: "We had a productive meeting with Mrs Ockenden earlier this week and are now working on next steps."

Mrs Ockenden said: "What we have agreed is I will act as a bridge initially between the trust and the affected and harmed families. I will be coming back to Shrewsbury and we will look at how we can involve more families in that so bear with us.

"But the key thing is to rebuild trust between the families and the trust."