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| Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital: Babies and mums died 'amid toxic culture' | Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital: Babies and mums died 'amid toxic culture' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Babies and mothers died amid a "toxic" culture at a hospital trust stretching back 40 years, a report has shown. | Babies and mothers died amid a "toxic" culture at a hospital trust stretching back 40 years, a report has shown. |
| The interim report, leaked to The Independent, of an investigation into maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust also said children were left disabled. | |
| Staff also got dead babies' names wrong and, in one case, referred to a child as "it". | Staff also got dead babies' names wrong and, in one case, referred to a child as "it". |
| The trust apologised and said "a lot" had been done to address concerns. | The trust apologised and said "a lot" had been done to address concerns. |
| In 2017, then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced an investigation into avoidable baby deaths at the trust, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal. | In 2017, then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced an investigation into avoidable baby deaths at the trust, which runs Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal. |
| It is being led by maternity expert Donna Ockenden, who authored the report for NHS Improvement. | It is being led by maternity expert Donna Ockenden, who authored the report for NHS Improvement. |
| Its initial scope was to examine 23 cases but this has now grown to more than 270, covering the period from 1979 to the present day. | |
| The cases include 22 stillbirths, three deaths during pregnancy, 17 deaths of babies after birth, three deaths of mothers, 47 cases of substandard care and 51 cases of cerebral palsy or brain damage. | |
| The report said the number of cases it is now being asked to review "seems to represent a longstanding culture at this trust that is toxic to improvement effort". | |
| The report details the pain suffered by the families: | The report details the pain suffered by the families: |
| It also points to an inadequate review carried out by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in 2017 and the "misplaced" optimism of the regulator in charge in 2007. | |
| Rhiannon Davies and Richard Stanton, whose baby Kate died in 2009, were among the families who first pushed for the independent inquiry. | Rhiannon Davies and Richard Stanton, whose baby Kate died in 2009, were among the families who first pushed for the independent inquiry. |
| Mrs Davies said she was already aware of many of the issues raised by the report but said she was "shocked" by the length of time covered by the report. | Mrs Davies said she was already aware of many of the issues raised by the report but said she was "shocked" by the length of time covered by the report. |
| "The devastating reality of Kate's avoidable death, that I have to live with, is that she was condemned to her painful death by the culture at SaTh that wilfully refused to learn from earlier cases dating back decades," she said. | "The devastating reality of Kate's avoidable death, that I have to live with, is that she was condemned to her painful death by the culture at SaTh that wilfully refused to learn from earlier cases dating back decades," she said. |
| "That is why I have fought every body and every institution in Kate's name because no other baby will suffer the same harm while I have breath in my body." | "That is why I have fought every body and every institution in Kate's name because no other baby will suffer the same harm while I have breath in my body." |
| Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) said it had "not been made aware of any interim report" and awaited the findings of the full report. | Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) said it had "not been made aware of any interim report" and awaited the findings of the full report. |
| Paula Clark, interim chief executive, apologised "unreservedly" to the families affected. | |
| She added: "A lot has already been done to address the issues raised by previous cases." | |
| However, the report warned lessons were not being learned and staff at the trust were uncommunicative with families. | However, the report warned lessons were not being learned and staff at the trust were uncommunicative with families. |
| Ms Ockenden said the leaked document appeared to be an internal status update as of February 2019. | Ms Ockenden said the leaked document appeared to be an internal status update as of February 2019. |
| "This was produced at the request of NHS Improvement and was not meant for publication," she said. | "This was produced at the request of NHS Improvement and was not meant for publication," she said. |
| She said the independent review team was working to meet the family's request for "one, single, comprehensive" report covering all cases of serious concern within maternity services at the trust. | She said the independent review team was working to meet the family's request for "one, single, comprehensive" report covering all cases of serious concern within maternity services at the trust. |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. |