The statement below is on behalf of Switalskis Solicitors who represent a large number of families, babies and children affected by inadequate maternity care, particularly at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. Many of you have a previously covered cases involving their clients, including (to name just a few) the deceased babies: Harriet Hawkins, Wynter Andrews, Kouper Needham and Adele O’Sullivan.
Please feel free to use the quote below in your coverage of the Ockenden Review.
Statement of Suzanne Munroe, Director and Head of Clinical Negligence at Switalskis Solicitors
“As a specialist firm acting for many children and families of those who have sustained a birth injury or lost their baby, we are acutely aware that maternity services have seen enormous pressures over (at least) the last decade. We absolutely support the need for positive change that enables those who work within those services to provide the standard of care that then protects families.
It has become very clear that it is the systems and processes at senior levels that need to be addressed. In the cases we are dealing with we have seen throughout multiple trusts that problems exist at a senior level which then filter down to those who provide the care. We have seen toxic work environments, poor staffing levels, unsustainable targets that do not support the safe provision of care to families all contributing to the outcomes that Donna Ockenden has reported on today.
Clearly these findings echo what we see time and time again and there needs to be action, not just in Shrewsbury, or Nottingham. The issues identified are not exclusive to the Ockenden report. We believe they go much wider.
We sincerely hope that serious lessons can be learned from this report to bring about real change so that trust can be placed in maternity services across the country. We see these tragedies happening over and over again – families live with the consequences and their lives are changed forever and this just cannot go on.”
For more information, please contact Natalie Rodgers: natalierodgers@scala.uk.com, 0114 4070159.
