BackEngland’s Health Ombudsman has warned that women and babies are being put at risk after a worrying rise in the number of investigations about maternity care.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is urging the Government and NHS leaders to learn from the mistakes being made and take action to protect more families from harm.
In 2023/24 (1 April – 31 March) the PHSO investigated 87% more cases (28) about maternity care than the previous year (15). These are all cases which have already been investigated by the NHS and where they failed to address concerns. The Ombudsman recently closed a case in which it found a catalogue of failings by a hospital led to the death of a baby girl who was stillborn in December 2018.
In the cases investigated issues identified included delays to treating infection and carrying out an MRI scan, failing to manage an epidural during a caesarean, and lack of consent for a procedure. Since April 2020, PHSO has carried out 80 detailed investigations related to failings in maternity care. Investigations concluded in 2023/24 account for over a third of these.
During that time the number of investigations upheld or partly upheld has also increased.
In March 2023, PHSO published a report about issues in maternity services. Common problems highlighted in that report include poor communication, and failings relating to diagnosis, aftercare, and mental health support.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, said:
“The rise in maternity investigations and the number of complaints being upheld over the last four years give rise to real cause for concern. It suggests that despite considerable investment in maternity care and well-publicised reviews into service failings, things are far from improving."
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Source: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, UK
