A powerful BBC investigation has uncovered disturbing evidence of systemic failings in maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, prompting more calls for an independent inquiry in maternity failings.
Among those speaking out is Tassie Weaver, whose baby boy, Baxter, was stillborn in 2020 after her repeated calls for help during labour were dismissed. Despite being considered high risk, Tassie was told twice ‘to stay home’. 3 hours later, worried she couldn’t feel her baby moving, she called again. Once more, the same midwife told her to stay at home. By the time she was finally admitted, it was too late: her baby’s heart had stopped beating. A subsequent review concluded that earlier intervention ‘”…would likely have made a difference to the outcome”.
Tassie is not alone. The BBC has now heard from 67 families who believe poor care at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust’s two maternity units have caused devastating outcomes in relation to care between 2017 and 2024.
Worryingly, internal reviews suggest that 29 neonatal deaths, 27 stillbirths, and 2 maternal deaths were potentially avoidable. The Care Quality Commission have since stepped in, placing the Trust under the Maternity Safety Support Programme, and an external review is under way.
Common themes are also expressed repeatedly: including women feeling like they had not been listened or heard to when they raised concerns, a lack of compassion, and families feeling like they were alone in their experience.
Once again there are calls for there to be a national inquiry into maternity safety.
At MDS, we recognise that maternity negligence can leave lifelong scars; emotional and beyond. Sadly, Tassie's experience is far from unique. Across the country, families are being failed by the very systems meant to protect them at the most vulnerable moment of their lives.
Tereza Fotiadi, Specialist Medical Negligence Solicitor from MDS, said "These stories are a heartbreaking reminder that families are still not being listened to. When concerns are brushed off as overreaction, the consequences can be catastrophic. Behind every claim is a grieving family seeking answers. Yet too often they encounter silence, rather than transparency or learning. What’s needed is a national inquiry into maternity care and maternity safety”
