Babies’ lives are at risk because maternity units are still unsafe years after families raised concerns about preventable deaths resulting from poor care.
Of the 193 NHS maternity services in England, 80 are rated as “inadequate” or “requires improvement”, meaning they do not meet basic safety standards.
Parents whose babies died avoidably have said they feel guilt that other families have suffered the same fate because hospitals have not investigated incidents and improved care.
The eight hospitals that have been given the lowest, “inadequate”, rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) include Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. It was the subject of an inquiry by Dr Bill Kirkup, which concluded in 2015 that a “lethal mix” of failings had led to the deaths of 11
