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empty hospital corridor post-Thirlwall Inquiry

Thirlwall Inquiry finds “Complete failure to protect babies”

The Thirlwall Inquiry has published its final report into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, finding a “complete failure to protect babies” on the neonatal unit. The report sets out 17 recommendations for the NHS, covering safeguarding, governance, and how hospitals respond when staff raise concerns. We explain the full outcome of the inquiry, and the options available to any parent who has concerns about their own child’s care.

Families still pushing for answers on maternity care failings

The first family meeting for the independent review into maternity care at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust took place this September, chaired by Donna Ockenden. CL Medilaw clients Robyn and Jonny Davis, and Chloe Vowels Lovett, played a key part in securing it after losing their babies, Orlando and Esme, to care failings at Worthing Hospital. Their years of campaigning, including meetings with the Department of Health and Social Care, helped push the review forward. A strikingly similar fight is playing out in Leeds, where Donna Ockenden also now leads an independent review into maternity services.

CL Medilaw's Fran Manley, who comments on the Leeds Maternity Review

How Did We Get Here? A Birth Injury Specialists’ Response to the Leeds Maternity Review

Concerns about maternity and neonatal care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have been building for several years, leading to the launch of an independent maternity review.
In this video, CL Medilaw Partner Fran Manley shares her perspective on how we reached this point, why families have been central to the inquiry, and what the review could mean for those affected.

mum's hand holding cot while worrying about the long term effects of lack of oxygen at birth

The Causes, Signs, and Long-Term Effects of a Lack of Oxygen at Birth

When a baby is deprived of oxygen during birth, parents are often left with more questions than answers. Our guide explains the causes, warning signs, and long-term effects, while also covering how clinical mistakes may have contributed to the outcome. It is designed to help families understand what happened to them; and what support is available.

pregnant mum worried about hie grades rubs tummy

HIE (Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy) Grades and Stages: Understanding Your Baby’s Diagnosis

When a baby has been diagnosed with HIE (Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy) one of the first things parents will be told is the grade of the condition. This information can sometimes feel overwhelming, frightening, and difficult to process.
Our guide explains HIE grades, explaining what each stage means for your baby’s development and long-term outlook. It is designed to help families understand the medical, emotional, and legal support available to them following a diagnosis.

a parent father holds the hand of a small child who has been diagnosed with (hie) hypoxic Ischaemic encephalopathy

Understanding Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE): A Guide for Parents

The moment a new baby arrives should be one of life’s most joyful events. When there is a diagnosis of HIE (hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy), the outcome can feel overwhelming. There is so much to take in and so many questions, often while experiencing a troubling feeling that something during the pregnancy, labour, or delivery did not go the way it should have.

Our guide explains everything parents need to know about HIE. Learn more about how it happens, what a diagnosis means for a child’s future, and what support is available.

Patient on hospital bed feeling ill waiting for medic and nurse to read diagnosis from digital tablet. Highlights the human face of the Oxford maternity services report

Behind the Oxford Maternity Services Report: The Families Still Waiting for Answers

The Oxford maternity services report has brought deep disappointment for many families who shared their stories. Birth injury specialist Laura Cook asks a difficult question: why aren’t the human consequences of avoidable harm at the centre of its findings?

stethoscope sitting on medical notes to represent the outcome of the amos report for families

Amos Report Latest: A Birth Injury Specialist’s Response

A rapid review, led by Baroness Valerie Amos, has called for urgent change to the way women, birthing people, and families are treated – examining why serious and avoidable harm continues to occur in maternity and neonatal care. A leading birth injury specialist explains why she believes nationwide consistency is the key takeaway from Baroness Amos’s Report.

pregnant woman with iv drip in blog about marthas rule during the nuh maternity scandal

Leading legal expert highlights Martha’s Rule change as “enormous” for families following “harrowing” Ockenden review

A leading legal expert believes an impending change to Martha’s Rule is “enormous” for families following the publication of the Ockenden review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust.

The report, which found more than 500 mothers and babies died or “suffered potentially avoidable harm”, was published after a review by senior midwife Donna Ockenden.

One of the immediate steps to be taken in the wake of the review will see a rollout of Martha’s Rule across all maternity services. This will add additional protection to mothers and babies by giving them formalised, 24/7 access to a second opinion.

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