Baroness Amos has completed her National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation and published her Final Report which comes on the back of the recent Ockenden Maternity Review and numerous other local maternity inquiries and reviews.
Baroness Amos was asked to consider why avoidable harm was continuing notwithstanding the extent of previous concern and investigations.
The findings
She has noted that whilst the vast majority of pregnancies and births have a positive outcome, her own investigation found that there was repeated evidence of women and families not being listened to, unacceptable racism and discrimination, a lack of connectivity between services and a failure to place safety at the heart of the system. She has said that “it is clear to me that the maternity and neonatal system is not set up to deliver consistently safe, high quality and compassionate care and this must be rectified.”
Baroness Amos has made recommendations to change the overall system for the better, including the headline appointment of a Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner who will be accountable to Parliament and responsible for the drive to improve the national framework of maternity and neonatal care taking account of the concerns that both Baroness Amos – and others over a number of years – have identified.
What now?
Baroness Amos’ conclusions, along with other previous recommendations, must now be acted on so families can be reassured that something positive has indeed been learned – and importantly implemented. Implementation will require not only hard work and excellent leadership, but also appropriate resources being provided to fund necessary change.
Having dealt with maternity claims for 30 years – initially defending the NHS, but for the last 15 years, acting on behalf of families whose lives have been impacted by negligent management, I have seen the same concerns about management being raised again and again over the years. Most, if not all, of the families I speak to seek the reassurance that any failings in their own care will not be repeated elsewhere. I would dearly like to be able to offer those families the reassurance they seek – that improvements have indeed taken place.
How Moore Barlow can help
Moore Barlow has represented many families in cases where maternity and/or neonatal care has been substandard. If you have concerns about your own or a family member’s maternity and/or neonatal care, do get in touch for a free no obligation discussion as to whether we can offer you assistance with a potential legal claim.
