We have been dealing with maternity cases for a long time, and sadly a lot of the issues that were raised in the BBC Panorama documentary aired on 29 January 2024 are familiar and ring true for many of our clients.

The programme raised concerns about staffing levels in Gloucester’s hospitals which put midwives at breaking point, women not being listened to, the failure to use interpreters for families who do not have English as a first language, and midwives were ignored when they raised concerns about the standard of care.

These factors all increase the risk of harm to mum and baby, and are not isolated to Gloucester. Independent reviews into the standard of maternity care that have already been performed in East Kent, Morcambe Bay, and Shrewsbury & Telford have all highlighted similar problems.

We have represented clients in claims concerning maternity failings where:

• Mums were not listened to when they complained of pain or concerns about their baby’s health.
• There were failures to act with urgency to prevent harm to mum and / or baby.
• Tests were not performed to check the health of the baby.

In these cases, the outcome is often devastating for the family. The Panorama documentary confirmed that there are safety concerns for around 2 / 3 of maternity units in England. We have previously spoken about the concerns raised in Leicester about maternity care, and the downgrading of its maternity services by the CQC in 2023.

During the programme, Dr Bill Kirkup, who has led maternity inquiries in East Kent and Morcambe Bay, said that NHS maternity units need to be transparent and need to learn from incidents. The programme highlighted the call for a national maternity inquiry in the UK. This is important because systemic failures in maternity care must be identified and addressed so that families are reassured that they will receive the best possible care at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.

If you have concerns about the maternity care that you or a loved one has received, please contact us for a no-obligation consultation or call us on 0116 254 7456 or 0800 952 0010.