LONDON, March 10 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
* Secretary of State appoints Ockenden to leadindependent review into Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust's maternityand neonatal services.
* Follows repeated maternity failures in Leeds, one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe,and the announcement ofindependent reviewin October 2025.
* Decision reflects families' own asks, following direct conversations with the Secretary ofState.
Families in Leeds are closer toseeinglasting change following the appointment of senior midwife Donna Ockenden to lead an independentreviewintomaternityand neonatalservices atLeeds Teaching Hospitals Trust(LTHT).
The Secretary of State spokethis morning with thefamilies, where he set out that this decision has been made with the aim ofbuilding the confidence ofall thefamilies who have been harmed.It'sthe third time since September thatthe Health and Social Care Secretary has met with the families.
Ockenden brings extensive experience as a nurse and midwife, alongside hertrack recordof uncovering systemic failings in maternity care - havingexamined maternitypractices atShrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust - and is currently chairing the Nottingham maternity review.
From next month,the governmentwillkickstartworkwith families tofurtherdevelop the Terms of Reference for the review, withindividualclinicalcasereviewssetto beginfromAugust.
The government has takensignificant actionto overhaul maternity care over the last eighteen months, includinga rapid national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England led byBaroness Amos, who published her interim findings on 26 February.
The Secretary of State will also launchthe National Maternity and NeonatalTaskforcetaking the national investigation'srecommendations and turning them into a concrete plan for real, lasting change.
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State forHealthand Social Care said:
Donna Ockenden is an outstanding advocate for families whose voiceshaven'talways been heard, andI'mdelighted to appoint someone so trusted by those who have been repeatedly let down by the NHS.
To the families in Leeds, I want to say- thank you for your openness during our detailed discussionsin recent weeks, and the courage you continue to show in sharing your experiences and advocatingfor lasting change, so other families do not experience theunimaginabletragedies you have gone through.
Thisreviewmust deliver for youandfor the sake of all families who rightly expect to receive safe and high-quality maternity care in the NHS. Donna Ockenden's leadership will bring us closertothelastingchange so desperately needed in Leeds.
Donna Ockenden said:
It is an honour to have been asked to chair this review, and I feel a profound sense of responsibility to the parents, babies and healthcare professionals it concerns to ensure that we get this right.
This review must remain firmly focused on the families who, in many instances, have waited far too long for answers to questions about their care. My priority will be to listen carefully to families and staff, to understand what has gone wrong, and to ensure that the lessons are learned and the changes required are made, in a timely way, thus ensuring that all mothers, their babies and families receive safe, high-quality perinatal care.
The Leeds family maternity group said:
It hasbeena long, drawn-out,andemotionally draining process to get the assurancesthatthisinvestigation will be handled with the appropriate methodologyandcarethatitneeds.
Weare gratefulthatWes Streeting has listened carefully to all of the evidence weputtohim about our concerns and why Donna Ockenden should be appointed as chair. We believe she has the experience, independence and determination required to uncover the truth and deliver meaningful accountabilityandchange.
The independentreviewinto Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust's maternity unitswas announced by the Secretary of State in October last year, following repeated maternity failures. Despite being one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe,Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trustremainsan outlier on perinatal mortality according to MBRRACE-UK data.
The review will focus onidentifyingareas of concern within maternity and neonatal care atthe Trust, with recommendedactions to help improve the safety,qualityand equity of maternity care.
Whilst the Terms of Referencefor the revieware yet to be agreed, we expect thereview to involvecase reviewsofstillbirths, neonatal deaths and serious incidents, hypoxicinjuriesand maternal deathsover a 15yearstimeframe(1 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2025).
Following thesuccessful approachin Nottingham,the inclusion of cases in the review will be based onan opt-out basis,meaning that all families who meet the terms of reference will automatically beincludedunless they choose otherwise, ensuring that no voices are missed.
It will also look at the governance,accountabilityand the handling of concerns atthe Trustwhen they are raised by women and/or their families and staff members.
Final decisions will be made followingfurtherengagement withDonnaOckendenand families.
Whilst the time reporting timescale for this review will be confirmedin due course,learning and recommendations will be shared on an ongoing basis withthe Trust, NHSEnglandand the Departmentto allow rapid action at all levels to improve the safety of maternity care.
The vast majority ofbirths on the NHS aresafeand women should continue to attend all maternity appointments. Women and familiesare encouraged to raise any concerns with their midwife or healthcare team without hesitation.
The appointment of the Chair of the Leeds independentreviewfollows a suite of measures this government has taken to improve maternity care. Since July 2024 we have:
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Invested over £131m in 122 infrastructure projects across 49 NHS trusts to improve safety of neonatal care facilities.
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Implemented a new programme to reduce the two leading causes of avoidable brain injury during labour.
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Piloted Martha's Rule in maternity and neonatal units in 14 trusts across 6 regions to give patients and families the right to request a second opinion.
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Launched a package of initiatives and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and preterm birth.
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Introduceda Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme to develop a culture of safety, learning, and support for leads from all maternity and neonatal units.
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Created targeted schemes to promote midwife retention, and the Graduate Guarantee, so that every qualified nurse and midwife in England can apply to join the health workforce - the latest workforce stats show that as of November 2025, there are 31,024 midwives working in the NHS which equates to 25,530 full time equivalent midwives.
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Expanded maternal mental health services to help women andextended theBaby Loss Certificate scheme to include all historic losses.
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Rolled out guidance across the NHS to tackle the leading causes of maternal death including thrombosis, mental health,epilepsy and haemorrhage.
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Launched ananti-discrimination programmeanda system to betteridentify safety concerns.
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NHS England have published an inequalities dashboard, which will support the identification of areas where specific populations face the greatest disparities, enabling tailored interventions and more equitable support.
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The Secretary of State has ordered a National Maternity Investigation, chaired by Baroness Amos.The aim of thisrapid, independent investigationisto develop one set of national recommendations to drive improvements in maternity and neonatal care across England and reduce inequalities in the delivery of these services.
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The Secretary of State will chair a NationalMaternityand Neonatal Taskforce shortly.TheTaskforceis specifically designed to ensure the Investigations' recommendations translate into action.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
