Released on: 19 October 2022
Responding to Reading the signals: Maternity and neonatal services in East Kent – the Report of the Independent Investigation, Angela McConville, Chief Executive at NCT said:
“Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathy are with the families involved in this investigation, who have endured a long and exhausting battle to ensure that their stories of loss and pain are heard and learned from. They were failed by the system which is supposed to care for them and keep them safe.
“This must be a watershed moment for the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust to learn lessons from past failures, to listen to parents and to strive to ensure safe and personalised maternity care for everyone.
“Whilst there are clearly many deep-rooted issues in East Kent, the devastating truth is that this report is not a one-off. Maternity services across the country are in crisis and every day, women and families are being put at risk.
“We fully support the four areas for urgent action identified in the report.
“True transformation of maternity services can only happen by demonstrating compassion, listening to women and families and responding to their needs and individual experiences.
“Families shouldn’t have to be the ones who expose maternity failings. There is a need to establish a transparent and trusted system that can monitor performance, investigate incidents and promptly identify and improve services.
“Delivering safe, equitable and personalised care will require action at every level within the maternity system.
“With the right leadership, behaviours, team working cultures and staffing levels, lives can be saved, and avoidable deaths prevented. The Government must commit to a multi-year, fully funded settlement with ringfenced funding for training and leadership development.”
The full report can be found here: Reading the signals: maternity and neonatal services in East Kent, the report of the independent investigation
If you or a loved one have been affected by the issues raised in the report, charities including Sands, Tommy's and The Birth Trauma Association provide support for parents who have suffered baby loss or birth trauma.
