Helen calls for evidence as part of safe maternity staffing campaign

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan is encouraging people to share their experiences of maternity care as part of a campaign to make staffing levels safer.

It comes after the publication of the Ockenden Review of Maternity Services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust which found that failures at the Shropshire hospitals may have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies.

Donna Ockenden’s report found that many of these deaths were not investigated, failures were repeated and some mothers were blamed for their own deaths.

Cross-party groups of MPs are now calling for evidence to understand the impact of staffing shortages on the quality and safety of maternity care, experience of parents and babies and staff morale and motivation.

Both the Ockenden Review and the Health and Social Care Select Committee Report into the safety of maternity services recommended that the Government takes action to increase the workforce to deliver safer maternity care.

Individuals and organisations are being invited to submit evidence to the Baby Loss APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group) and Maternity Services APPG via an online form.

Helen is a Vice Chair of the Baby Loss APPG and Officer of the Maternity Services APPG.

Helen Morgan MP said: “Maternity services urgently need improving across the UK and particularly here in Shropshire where so many families have suffered due to repeated failures.

“Lots of work needs to be done and hopefully this call for evidence and the safe staffing campaign can start to progress this.

“If you have experience of maternity care – whether as a patient, staff member or organisation – please do share your views by filling out the online form.”

Evidence can be submitted to the APPGs at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/APPGscallforevidence. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, 3rd August 2022.