The BBC has highlighted recently that 47 new families have contacted them to express their concern about maternity care received at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, following the publication of a story where tragically a young baby died.

Alarmingly, this story is not unique. In 2020 Donna Ockenden published her report into maternity care of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which during the course of the review, highlighted increasing numbers of families who had tragically been affected as a result of a mother’s concerns not being listened to. Consequently there was agreement that mothers would not be pushed into having a natural delivery, as opposed to a C-section, if the latter would be safer.

We go to doctors because they are the experts. They have the requisite skill to treat, care for us, and look after our health. This has to be a partnership however, and decisions for treatment are not something that are made unilaterally by the medical profession. It can never be at the expense of patient autonomy and helping the individual to make an informed choice.

The case of Nadine Montgomery (a landmark Supreme Court case highlighting the importance of providing the necessary information to a mother for her to make an informed delivery choice) included a comment from Lady Hale that some doctors feel: “that a vaginal delivery is in some way morally preferable to a caesarean section: so much so that it justifies depriving the pregnant woman of the information needed for her to make a free choice.”

However, we learned this month that Nottinghamshire Police is launching a corporate manslaughter investigation to investigate the maternity care at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and whether this has been “grossly negligent”.

In addition, Donna Ockenden is of course examining approximately 2,500 neonatal death cases, or cases of harm to mother and baby at the Trust too.

These tragic stories do nothing to restore public confidence in patient safety and conversely damage the NHS generally where there are many cases of exemplary care being provided.