The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH) maternity scandal has been labelled the “largest maternity scandal in NHS history”.
It centres around a leaked internal report that appears to outline some 40 years of potentially substandard and negligent care, and there may be around 600 cases where failures have taken place. Dozens of deaths and cases of children being left with permanent and life-altering brain damage are being blamed on inadequate care and advice. It’s a tragic story, and as specialist medical negligence lawyers, all we can do is offer our support and advice for those who need it.
It’s understood that there may be previous cases and complaints that the Trust has dismissed that now need looking into. If that applies to you, or where you believe you or someone you love has been affected by issues at the Trust, we may be able to help.
About the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust maternity scandal
A leaked internal report about problems with maternity care and treatment at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has caused a great deal of shock and upset.
As many as 600 incidents that may involve mistakes and negligence are being examined. The report singles out 42 infant deaths and more than 50 cases of children being left with brain damage, with a number of potential reasons identified.
Some of the alleged failures and inadequacies are understood to involve:
- Monitoring of heartbeats during labour;
- Problems with oxygen and blood flow supply from placenta to baby leading to cases of Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE);
- Advice to mothers about how they choose to deliver their babies;
- Existing health conditions and concerns for mothers not being properly assessed or considered;
- Failures to identify and treat serious infections like meningitis and Strep B – both of which can lead to death and brain damage.
Infants affected by these kinds of issues can be at risk of serious and permanent complications, and even treating such complications can be dangerous.
How has this been happening?
The leaked internal report about the failings at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust outline a number of causes and reasons for what has been going on.
There appears to be problems across the board in terms of “knowledge, team-working and approach to risk”, and “a distinct lack of kindness and respect” has been noted for some staff. Issues are said to involve some of the doctors, nurses, midwives, and the bosses at the top as well, and one noted issue concerns staff referring to deceased babies as “it” and not knowing their names.
It seems that staff have been incapable of identifying and managing the many risks involved with childbirth, and this has reportedly led to cases of medical negligence since 1979.
Have you been affected?
If you or someone you know has been affected by maternity problems at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, we may be able to help.
We know that we can’t undo the damage that has been done. We know that we can’t turn back time. But what we can do is offer our expert legal advice which is available now on a free and no-obligation basis. If we can help, we can also offer No Win, No Fee representation as well.
Please don’t hesitate to call our team directly now on 0800 634 75 75 between our usual weekday hours of 9am until 10pm, or on weekends 9am to 5pm.
You can also visit out contact page here for more ways to get in touch.
