A shocking report that was leaked to the Independent newspaper has identified a ‘toxic’ culture in place at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, spanning over 40 years.
According to the Independent newspaper, the report details several cases where babies and mothers died or suffered severe injuries (including permanent brain injury) due to substandard care. To make matters worse, many were also treated without dignity or respect. There were instances of deceased babies being referred to by the wrong name or even as ‘it’ and in one case, a baby’s body was allowed to decompose over a period of weeks after a post-mortem examination so the family didn’t get to say goodbye.
It appears that lessons were not learnt from the failings and that the same mistakes were allowed to happen time and time again. Some high-risk women ended up giving birth on the midwifery-led unit where they did not have immediate access to doctors who could provide more specialist help if they got into difficulties. Some of the families affected by these upsetting events battled for several years for a review to take place so that they could get answers and try to stop this happening to other families. The review is still ongoing and the final report has not yet been produced.
Having a baby can be an anxious time for expectant parents, but usually, we can feel reassured and confident that we will be cared for in a safe and supportive environment. However, for many women who attended hospitals under the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, sadly this was not the reality.
At Jackson Lees, we have supported many families who have been through traumatic experiences when having a baby, such as brain injury at birth, stillbirths or complications leading to damage to mum and/ or baby. We have also successfully acted in claims against the hospitals covered by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, and obtained several millions of pounds in settlements for client who suffered brain injuries at birth. As well as the physical problems, there are often psychological consequences too, which can affect the family for a long time afterwards. We have many years of experience of fighting for families to get answers and compensation to help them get their lives back on track.
For a free consultation with one of our legal team call us on 0151 647 9381, request a callback at your convenience or email enquiry@jacksonlees.co.uk Or drop-in to the clinic at our Birkenhead office Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.