The CQC inspection report for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust from September 2023 made for worrying, but unsurprising reading. As a firm, over recent years we have been monitoring and analysing the maternity cases we are instructed on and have seen trends emerging in the failures of care received by mothers and babies.
One overriding theme is that mums are not being listened to properly. Legitimate concerns are simply batted away and dismissed as ‘being entirely normal’, particularly in cases involving first-time parents. We have seen instances where a mum has sought help from the maternity units in Leicester’s hospitals only to be turned away because they have failed to recognise the severity of the issue; in many cases this has led to irrevocable harm to the baby and mum and in some cases tragically the baby was lost.
A large proportion of the clients that we see involve South Asian or black mothers. Surely, Leicester’s maternity services need to be safe for everyone. We are often left asking whether ethnicity of mum is significant?
In the September 2023 report, the CQC identified the problem of understaffing at the Trust. We represent families who are concerned that they received substandard care due to a lack of experience on the part of those looking after them. Substandard care that involves incorrect readings of CTGs, insufficient monitoring and poor communication between staff.
Whilst there is already a national spotlight on maternity services in the UK, Leicester has, to date, avoided scrutiny. From our own experience of representing those harmed by failings in care, we think it is right that there is now public attention on what is happening at the Trust in the hope that it brings about swift and long-lasting change
If you are concerned about the maternity or neonatal paediatric care that you or a member of your family has received, please contact our experienced team on 0800 952 0010 or 0116 254 7456 or email: enquiries@moosaduke.com. You can also enquire online by clicking here.