The publication of the Ockenden review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has been postponed until March 2022. The report, originally due in December, was delayed after the trust provided 'very substantial information' over the summer and up to the end of September.
Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is investigating 1,862 cases, making it the largest ever review of NHS maternity care. Her interim report in December 2020 found that some mothers were blamed for their babies' deaths. The review was commissioned in 2018 following campaigns by families who lost their daughters.
In a letter to families, Ockenden said her team contacted Health Secretary Sajid Javid to request more time after deciding the new documents were important. Rhiannon Davies, whose daughter Kate died in 2009, expressed concern about how the information was 'mislaid' by the trust, calling it 'incompetence at best'. However, she supported the delay, describing the review as a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity'.
NHS England confirmed the extension, with a new deadline of 24 March. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Aidan Fowler said the trust is working towards this date. Additional funding has been provided to accelerate recruitment and development of the maternity support workforce.
The trust's board must review its own progress in public meetings. West Mercia Police is also investigating the trust, which may continue for two to three more years. Families have praised Ockenden for her sensitive handling of the inquiry and regular communication.
