On 23 February the BBC's Panorama programme examined the maternity care failures at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The BBC report makes it clear that the death of every baby is a tragic event and these avoidable deaths should simply not be happening. The UK should be one of the safest places in the world to have a baby, but we are a long way off that reality.
Sands works to save babies' lives by sharing the voices of families and healthcare professionals, supporting research, and lobbying for change.
We ensure that bereaved parents' voices are heard by decision makers in the NHS and government so that their experiences help improve safety in maternity and neonatal care.
“It is clear we need to really listen to parents and build a culture of openness, so that human errors or systemic failings can be acknowledged and lessons learned by NHS Trusts. Otherwise there will be more deaths, the same recommendations repeated, and insufficient action taken.
“We need to stop waiting until after things go wrong before taking action, as more babies will die. We need a system to spot problems early, and for support to improve maternity safety to be offered immediately.
"And once any enquiry has completed there must be concerted efforts to monitor future improvements. This preventative approach would avoid parents having to fight for years to be heard, and crucially it would prevent more babies dying who could have been saved.”
Clea Harmer, Chief Executive, Sands
The Ockenden Review
Sands has contributed to the independent review of maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, which is being led by Donna Ockenden.
We strongly support Donna Ockenden’s robust approach and the care she has taken to include the perspectives and expertise of Sands and other relevant organisations.
You will be able to find out more when the final report is published in March 2022.
Support for bereaved families
Since 2020 Sands has been part of a dedicated service to support the families whose babies died while under the care of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, alongside the specialist psychological therapies made available by the review team.
We are here to support anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. Find out more about our support and get in touch.