Families Welcome Donna Ockenden's Appointment to Leeds Maternity Inquiry
Families who lost babies at two hospitals in Leeds have expressed cautious optimism as the senior midwife Donna Ockenden is appointed to lead a critical review into maternity services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. This decision follows a sustained campaign by affected families and comes after the units at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) and St James's Hospital were downgraded to "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission in June 2025.
Restoring Trust After Tragic Losses
The inquiry focuses on a failing service where 56 babies and two mothers died over a five-year period. Ockenden, renowned for her previous review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in 2020, was chosen by Health Secretary Wes Streeting after families met with him last month to advocate for her leadership. Amarjit Kaur Matharoo, whose daughter Asees was stillborn at LGI in 2024, noted that trust in Streeting is slowly being restored after initial concerns about delays. "I think we're slowly getting it back," she said. "He has to regain it, it's not something that he can just give because we have been burnt ultimately. But it's a step towards rebuilding that relationship."
Voices of the Victims Prioritized
Fiona Wisner-Ramm, whose daughter Aliona died at LGI in 2020 due to what a coroner called "gross failures," emphasized the importance of centering victims in the process. "We reminded Mr. Streeting that victims are the people that should be paramount in any of this," she stated. The group includes not only those who lost babies but also women who suffered serious harm during childbirth at the trust. Ockenden acknowledged this responsibility, saying, "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." She pledged to listen carefully to families and staff to ensure lessons are learned and changes are implemented promptly.
Commitment to Lasting Change
Wes Streeting praised Ockenden as an outstanding advocate for families, highlighting her trust among those let down by the NHS. He thanked the Leeds families for their courage and openness, asserting that the review must deliver safe, high-quality maternity care. "Donna Ockenden's leadership will bring us closer to the lasting change so desperately needed in Leeds," he said. This appointment marks a significant step in addressing systemic issues in perinatal care, with hopes that it will prevent future tragedies and restore public confidence in NHS maternity services.
