Our response to the national maternity review
The Amos Review, an independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services in England led by Baroness Amos, has been published today (Tuesday 30 June).
We made a public statement when we were first announced as one of the 12 trusts in the investigation. We then welcomed Baroness Amos to speak to members of our maternity staff and to review our estate and facilities. She also spoke to families to hear about their experiences over a period spanning both before and after the improvements we have made. We are grateful to them for sharing their stories which have, and will continue, to shape and improve our services.
Alongside the main report which sets out a series of national recommendations, there is also a report about our Trust. We appreciate the report may be upsetting or worrying for women and their families using our service. We would like to reassure them and encourage them to raise any concerns with their community midwife or contact our maternity patient experience team (01708 435 000 ext. 2693 or 2434) who will be happy to help provide support.
Our Chief Nurse Nic Kane said:
We’re pleased we were able to show Baroness Amos and her team the improvements we’ve made to our maternity services which led the Care Quality Commission to rate them as good overall last year.
Her report on our Trust highlights that these positive changes have come too late for the families who have experienced harm or bereavement. We are truly sorry that their experiences have had a lasting, harmful impact on them and their loved ones.
We know we must do more. We will continue to improve how we communicate with parents, respond to complaints, and ensure the maternity care we provide is the best it can be.
The work our teams have been doing to support women and their families has been highlighted in a recent article in The Guardian.