Rachel Cooper, 43, has spoken out about her experience of poor maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which left her with a colostomy bag after an undiagnosed third-degree tear following childbirth in April 2018. She is one of dozens of families who say they were harmed by the trust's maternity services.
Ms Cooper gave birth vaginally but was discharged without treatment for the tear, which later became infected. Despite reporting symptoms to midwives and a doctor, she was told her condition was normal. She said: 'It felt like going to A&E with a broken leg to be told it's only a cramp.'
Eight days after birth, she underwent surgery to repair the tear and had a stoma fitted, diverting waste into a colostomy bag. She continues to live with the physical and mental health repercussions, saying: 'I’m not the mother to my baby that I could have been.'
The government announced on Tuesday that Donna Ockenden, who led inquiries into maternity scandals at Shrewsbury and Telford and Nottingham University Hospitals, will chair a probe into Leeds Teaching Hospitals. The inquiry follows a BBC investigation in early 2025 that suggested at least 56 baby deaths and two maternal deaths over five years may have been preventable.
Dr Dipesh Odedra, clinical director of women’s services at the trust, said: 'We are truly sorry to Rachel for her experience.' Ms Cooper hopes the inquiry will bring 'openness and transparency' and prevent future harm.
