Exclusive:Health minister says experience of Leeds maternity families is 'appalling and shocking'

Dame Diana Johnson said it was “so important that their [bereaved families’] voices are at the heart” of the independent review.

The experiences of families in the Leeds maternity scandal are "appalling and shocking”, a new health minister has said, explaining that it was “so important that their voices are at the heart” of the independent review.

Dame Diana Johnson was speaking to The Yorkshire Post shortly after senior midwife Donna Ockenden began speaking to parents to form the terms of reference for her probe into neonatal and maternity services in the city.

The Hull North and Cottingham MP was appointed a health minister by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has pledged to meet the bereaved Leeds families at the conclusion of the review.

A BBC investigation revealed the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers over the past five years may have been prevented, while legal firm Irwin Mitchell is now representing more than 50 families in action against the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT).

LTHT chief executive Brendan Brown has pledged that the trust is “absolutely committed to working openly, honestly and transparently with Donna Ockenden and the review team”.

New Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, herself a West Yorkshire MP, has made improving maternity services one of her priorities.

She recently announced that national standards for maternity care would be introduced, including an early warning system for underperformance.

Dame Diana told this paper: “It’s right that the Secretary of State made it very clear that sorting out what has gone wrong in maternity services is one of her priorities.

She is already taking steps in making sure we have the highest standards around maternity care, looking at using those standards as giving an early indication when things are going wrong.

We’ve got the Baroness Amos review, we’ve got Donna Ockenden who did that review in Nottingham and is now up in Leeds doing a review.

“It is just appalling and shocking for the families that have experienced maternity services that have not worked for them or their babies.

“It is absolutely right that Donna is doing that review up in Leeds and she’s already started to talk to some of the families.

“It’s so important that their voices are at the heart of this, and we’ve learned from what those families and those women have experienced.

“I’m really grateful for what Donna is doing and I think she is so well respected in the work she has already undertaken.”

Ms Ockenden’s previous probe into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust found that around 520 mothers and babies suffered potentially avoidable harm or died due to “deeply embedded systemic failures” at the “toxic” hospital trust.

That inquiry led to Nottinghamshire Police opening a corporate manslaughter investigation into the NHS trust, and was part of the reason why she was the Leeds’ families’ choice to chair their review.

She has asked for families to speak to her to help form the terms of reference for the review.

Ms Ockenden said: “The Nottingham review was of an extremely high standard but I always push myself as chair to get better.

“One of the things I know we can do better is earlier engagement with families, and an earlier start to large meetings which we have done.

“We’re going to set out a timetable in discussion with families to hold these meetings every two months, plus very early engagement with Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, and an early encouragement for Leeds maternity staff to come forward. I think that would be my top three things.”

The Government has said it will use the Hillsborough Law, which requires a duty of candour from public officials, to force senior LTHT staff to give evidence at the review.

Ms Ockenden has said the “engagement” from regional health managers to the review in Nottingham was “extremely disappointing”. Of the 14 senior regional NHS managers contacted, only four ended up being interviewed.

Mr Brown added: “I am deeply sorry to families whose babies have sadly died or who have been harmed when receiving care in our hospitals.

“I know apologies are not enough, and we are absolutely committed to working openly, honestly and transparently with Donna Ockenden and the review team, and with families who have used our services.

“We hope this review will provide families with the answers they deserve.

“Significant improvements are already underway in our maternity and neonatal services; we know there is much more to do, and we are committed to improve and ensure that every family receives safe, compassionate, inclusive, and high-quality care.”