Latest news with #maternity
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
NHS facing £27bn bill for maternity failings in England
The NHS could be facing a £27.4bn bill for maternity failings in England, an NHS annual report has revealed. It comes after several hospital scandals caused hundreds of babies and women to die or suffer life-altering conditions sparking a record number of legal claims. The potential bill for maternity negligence since 2019 is £27.4bn, according to an NHS Resolution report, the organisation that handles negligence claims for the NHS trusts in England. Hospital scandals in England have prompted health secretary Wes Streeting to launch a national investigation into NHS maternity services. The new rapid investigation will look at 'systemic' failures in maternity and neo-natal units 'up and down the country', which are leaving women and babies at a 'considerably higher' risk than they should be. The probe will focus on the 10 'worst performing' maternity services in England in a bid to drive urgent improvements to safety for pregnant women and their babies, Mr Streeting said. The NHS Resolution report which was published on Thursday revealed in 2024/25 the NHS paid out £3.1bn in compensation and associated costs overall. But because claims take some time to be reported and settled, and some claims are settled with multi-year payments into the future as Periodical Payment Orders (PPOs), the estimated 'annual cost of harm' for NHS schemes was £4.9 billion. This means almost £5 billion in compensation costs is currently incurred by the NHS in England each year for incidents that could be avoided. The estimates cost of harm from maternity incidents in 2019/20 was £5.7bn, £5.1bn in 2020/21, £8.2bn in 2021/22, £3.4 in 2022/23 and £2.5bn in both 2023/24 and 4024/25, the Guardian reported. This estimated cost is far higher than the NHS budget of £18bn for newborns over the past six years. Jeremy Hunt, the former Conservative health secretary, told the Guardian: 'It should be a matter of national shame that we now spend more on maternity litigation than the total cost of running maternity services.' However, compensation for maternity negligence only accounts for a fraction of the total £17.4bn sum, with a large share going towards legal costs. Over the past six years £24.6m has been spent on legal fees for claims that did not result in damages. Liberal Democrat hospitals spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller said these figures show how much damage the crisis in maternity services is causing the NHS. She told the newspaper: 'The crisis in our maternity services is being laid bare through the trauma that so many families have to deal with.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'This government inherited an unacceptable situation where too many families have suffered due to failures in maternity care and the NHS has been paying billions for its mistakes, rather than fixing them. 'We are committed to breaking that cycle and providing mothers and babies with safe, compassionate care once and for all. That is why we have announced a rapid national maternity investigation to identify where things are going wrong and identify solutions.' A spokesperson also said it is setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, rolling out a digital system to better identify safety concerns, and a new training programme to help prevent avoidable injuries at childbirth. An NHS England spokesperson said: "We recognise that too many women and families are not receiving the high-quality maternity care they deserve, and we are committed to changing this. "We are taking immediate steps to strengthen maternity services, including closer oversight of underperforming trusts, and will work with the independent investigation to ensure we learn from its findings and deliver the comprehensive changes that women and families need and deserve.' NHS Resolution said: 'The high cost of compensation arising in maternity comes from a small number of very serious incidents resulting in brain injury to a baby at birth. These incidents are devastating for families and reflect the need to make provision for life-long and complex care needs. 'NHS Resolution is committed to supporting the Government's action to drive improvements in maternal and neonatal safety. 'Our Early Notification Scheme enables an earlier investigation of compensation entitlement than has been possible in the past and for learning to be shared back more rapidly with NHS trusts. Additionally, our Maternity Incentive Scheme provides financial incentives to NHS trusts to embed safety standards. We continue to evaluate and enhance these programmes to improve outcomes for families and reduce preventable harm."
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Ask any Black woman – we get second-class NHS treatment
When I gave birth for the first time, my concerns were dismissed by my medical care providers. I put it down to my age, as I was only 18 at the time, rather than my skin colour. But as a new survey finds that a quarter of Black women experience discrimination in the NHS – how, in particular, on maternity wards, Black mothers are denied the pain relief, such as epidurals, routinely given to our white counterparts, and that we are up to four times more likely to die in childbirth – I'm not so sure. I'd wager that every Black mother I know has her own little NHS horror story. I remember a midwife telling me that I was putting on too much weight, and asking sarcastically if I had ever heard of salad. I already felt bad about myself, as I'd developed cankles for the first time. When I was later diagnosed with edema, which led to pre-eclampsia, my labour had to be induced several days early. Looking back, I didn't receive a lot of pain relief, even though I was in so much pain, I kicked the footboard at the bottom of the bed clean off. I was so traumatised by the experience that I never had another natural childbirth again, both other times opting for an elective C-section. The second time I gave birth, five years later, I had planned to have a general anaesthetic. I didn't want to be awake for any of it. Two hours before the operation, I had a visit from a member of the medical team who asked if I minded having an epidural instead, because the anaesthetist wanted to go home, and it was only me keeping him there. I felt horrible refusing, and spent the final two hours of my pregnancy scared that they would 'accidentally' give me too much medication, and I would die on the operating table. I still can't believe the maternity unit had the audacity to put that amount of pressure on me – but it seems I'm not alone. According to a survey of more than 1,000 Black and mixed-race women by Five X More – a grassroots women's health organisation which takes its name from the statistic that Black women are five times more likely to die during childbirth that their white counterparts – half of all Black women did not receive pain relief when they requested it. It all seems to stem from a misplaced – and let's call it what it is: racist – mindset among midwives and doctors that 'strong Black women' simply don't need as much help as other patients. I mean, our ancestors were happy pushing out their progeny without modern medicine – they gave birth on their own, while standing up, didn't they? Wouldn't we prefer to just get on with it without gas and air? A friend of mine, who is now a senior cardiologist, told me: 'At med school in the 90s, we were taught that Black women had a higher pain threshold during labour, so they didn't usually ask for pain relief.' There have long been serious concerns in the Black community about the treatment Black women receive during maternal health care. It was the subject of a Dispatches documentary in 2021, presented by Rochelle Hulme. The myth of the 'strong black woman' is also partly a legacy of slavery. Medical historians point a finger at Dr J Marion Sims, the 19th-century physician who became known as the 'father of modern gynecology', having invented the vaginal speculum – but whose pioneering surgical techniques were practiced on enslaved women. His statue in Central Park was pulled down in 2018. Even more shocking to me is that medical racism within the NHS doesn't just exist in maternity care, I believe it's pervasive across the entire service. I know a woman who has been battling the NHS – and been belittled by it – ever since she was a girl, when she was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and tiredness. 'I used to fall asleep in lessons, but was told by teachers there was nothing wrong with me, that I was attention-seeking, that I was a liar and fake. At 11, I was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis, symptoms for which I had shown since the age of 4.' Today, she needs regular plasma transfusions, so spends a lot of time receiving medical care. 'I've had so many bad experiences, panic attacks thinking I was going to die,' she tells me, 'and yet white people with the same condition tell me they have not suffered.' Once, while having antibiotics administered intravenously, she was left unable to speak – yet her nurses ignored her obvious distress. 'All I could do was point to the cannula and whisper 'Out…'. When two policemen walked past, they pointed and laughed at me, acting as though I was a mental health patient. The nurses joined in laughing and joking.' I know that the plural of anecdote isn't data, but Black people do have a rougher ride at the hands of our medical profession. Certainly, health campaigns for conditions that disproportionately affect the Black community, such as sickle cell anaemia and prostate cancer, don't seem to get the same profile as others. When it comes to ensuring the NHS is more attuned to the needs of Black patients, I won't hold my breath – because if I did, they might just leave me to suffocate.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Protest against permanent closure of birthing unit
Residents from Lichfield took part in a walking protest to oppose the permanent closure of a maternity unit in Staffordshire. Campaigners said that "mothers need a real choice" and closing the birthing unit at Samuel Johnson Community Hospital for good would take away options for local families. Families took part in a pram push on Saturday after a public consultation was launched by the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) last month. The freestanding midwife-led birthing units (FMBUs) at Samuel Johnson and County Hospital in Stafford were temporarily stopped due to the pandemic - the body is gathering views on whether they should reopen. Pregnant mothers have still been able to attend the hospitals for antenatal and postnatal appointments but have been unable to give birth at the units. While many have been waiting for the midwife-led services to resume, the ICB said the viability of the units was being questioned. Local residents, families who had used the maternity units in the past and pregnant mothers all gathered in the pouring rain in protest as they walked from Lichfield guildhall to Samuel Johnson. Hannah Weaver, who gave birth at the Lichfield unit before the pandemic, told the BBC her experience there was "empowering". She said: "I had an extremely positive and extremely empowering experience [at Samuel Johnson]. "I think it's important women have a choice about where they want to give birth, and that choice is being taken away from the residents of Lichfield. "The pram push is to show people we are against the proposal for closure and that we really make sure we keep safe births in Lichfield where there's choice. "That's the main thing - maternity choice." If services at the facility do not resume, the closest birthing unit for expectant mothers in Lichfield is at Queen's Hospital, in Burton. Speaking on the original decision to close the services, the ICB said it was made to ensure there was enough staff for the maternity departments at Royal Stoke University Hospital and Queen's Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent. Heather Johnstone, chief nursing and therapies officer, told the BBC if services were to resume, the midwives staffing the units would be taken away from the county's busiest hospitals. She said: "The units have been shut for five years, so the most recent data we have is from 2020. "There were around 18 births a month, so 220 births a year. It requires a lot of midwifery staffing to safely staff that unit. "It's taking those midwives away from facilities where they could be providing care to a broader range of people." The public consultation will run until 3 August and people have been urged to share their views on the ICB's website. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Birthing unit closures could be made permanent Related internet links Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB Samuel Johnson Community Hospital
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Protest against permanent closure of Lichfield birthing unit
Residents from Lichfield took part in a walking protest to oppose the permanent closure of a maternity unit in Staffordshire. Campaigners said that "mothers need a real choice" and closing the birthing unit at Samuel Johnson Community Hospital for good would take away options for local families. Families took part in a pram push on Saturday after a public consultation was launched by the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) last freestanding midwife-led birthing units (FMBUs) at Samuel Johnson and County Hospital in Stafford were temporarily stopped due to the pandemic - the body is gathering views on whether they should reopen. Pregnant mothers have still been able to attend the hospitals for antenatal and postnatal appointments but have been unable to give birth at the many have been waiting for the midwife-led services to resume, the ICB said the viability of the units was being questioned. Local residents, families who had used the maternity units in the past and pregnant mothers all gathered in the pouring rain in protest as they walked from Lichfield guildhall to Samuel Johnson. Hannah Weaver, who gave birth at the Lichfield unit before the pandemic, told the BBC her experience there was "empowering".She said: "I had an extremely positive and extremely empowering experience [at Samuel Johnson]."I think it's important women have a choice about where they want to give birth, and that choice is being taken away from the residents of Lichfield."The pram push is to show people we are against the proposal for closure and that we really make sure we keep safe births in Lichfield where there's choice. "That's the main thing - maternity choice."If services at the facility do not resume, the closest birthing unit for expectant mothers in Lichfield is at Queen's Hospital, in Burton. Speaking on the original decision to close the services, the ICB said it was made to ensure there was enough staff for the maternity departments at Royal Stoke University Hospital and Queen's Hospital in Johnstone, chief nursing and therapies officer, told the BBC if services were to resume, the midwives staffing the units would be taken away from the county's busiest hospitals. She said: "The units have been shut for five years, so the most recent data we have is from 2020."There were around 18 births a month, so 220 births a year. It requires a lot of midwifery staffing to safely staff that unit."It's taking those midwives away from facilities where they could be providing care to a broader range of people."The public consultation will run until 3 August and people have been urged to share their views on the ICB's website. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Derby and Burton hospitals wants maternity restrictions removed
The trust in charge of Derby and Burton hospitals has asked the health watchdog to remove restrictions put on its maternity services after they were rated Care Quality Commission (CQC) served University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Trust (UHDB) with eight Section 31 notices following inspections at the Royal Derby Hospital and Queen's Hospital Burton in 2023 and a further five in said the CQC had now removed six of the eight restrictions it received in 2023 and the trust had made applications to remove the shows the mortality rate for newborns at both hospitals has been below the NHS average for more than 12 months. 'Working at pace' In 2023 the CQC identified major failings in maternity services at both hospitals and ordered the trust to urgently update training, improve cleanliness and ensure safe levels of commission utilised Section 31 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, which gives it the powers to urgently alter or remove conditions of then the trust said it had been "working hard" to improve the quality of care and experience for women and babies through a dedicated improvement programmeIt said compliance against Saving Babies Lives, an evidence-based national maternity safety ambition had improved from 33% in September 2023 to 86% in June Noble, UHDB's director of midwifery, said: "While we know from our own safety data and from our engagement with women and families that we have made improvements, we are not complacent and are absolutely committed to continuing this work at pace." UHDB said the Section 31 restrictions from 2023 which had now been removed by the CQC were for effective system of fetal monitoring, fetal monitoring training and compliance, fresh eyes implementation, clinical skills training compliance, rates of haemorrhage and appropriate senior remaining two conditions from 2023 it has applied to have removed are assessment and management haemorrhage and audit and governance of the five conditions still in place from 2024 are co-ordinated care approach to maternity, visible effective medical leadership, birth centre neonatal equipment accessible and effective process for handovers of care and induction of labour.
