Families Welcome Donna Ockenden's Appointment to Leeds Maternity Inquiry
Families affected by tragic losses 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. The inquiry follows the deaths of 56 babies and two mothers over a five-year period at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, with campaigners hailing the decision as a step toward restoring trust in the health system.
Campaigners Urge Action After Delays
The appointment comes after a concerted campaign by families, including those who lost babies or suffered serious harm due to care failures. They met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting last month to advocate for Ockenden's leadership, five months after the independent review was initially announced. The maternity units at Leeds General Infirmary and St James's Hospital, both under the same trust, were downgraded to "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission in June 2025.
Amarjit Kaur Matharoo, whose daughter Asees was stillborn at Leeds General Infirmary in 2024, noted that trust in Streeting is slowly being rebuilt after initial concerns over 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 and ensuring that actually patients and families are heard, and making sure that actually there's a safer space for maternity in Leeds."
Voices of the Victims Prioritised
Fiona Wisner-Ramm, whose daughter Aliona died at the same hospital in 2020 after what a coroner described as "a number of gross failures of the most basic nature," emphasised the importance of putting victims first. "We reminded Mr Streeting that victims are the people that should be paramount in any of this and that should always come before protecting organisations, protecting other individuals in power and I think he's very much reflected on that and that has helped his decision-making," she stated.
Ockenden's Commitment to Change
Donna Ockenden, renowned for her previous review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in 2020, expressed her dedication to the new role. "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 to ensure that we get this right," she said. "This review must remain firmly focused on the families who, in many instances, have waited far too long for answers to questions about their care."
She added, "My priority will be to listen carefully to families and staff, to understand what has gone wrong, and to ensure that the lessons are learned and the changes required are made, in a timely way, thus ensuring that all mothers, their babies and families receive safe, high-quality perinatal care."
Streeting's Pledge for Safer Maternity Care
Health Secretary Wes Streeting praised Ockenden as an advocate for families and acknowledged the courage of those affected. "Donna Ockenden is an outstanding advocate for families whose voices haven't always been heard, and I'm delighted to appoint someone so trusted by those who have been repeatedly let down by the NHS," he said.
Addressing the families directly, Streeting continued, "To the families in Leeds, I want to say – thank you for your openness during our detailed discussions in recent weeks, and the courage you continue to show in sharing your experiences and advocating for lasting change, so other families do not experience the unimaginable tragedies you have gone through. This review must deliver for you and for the sake of all families who rightly expect to receive safe and high-quality maternity care in the NHS. Donna Ockenden's leadership will bring us closer to the lasting change so desperately needed in Leeds."
The appointment marks a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to address systemic failures in maternity services, with hopes that Ockenden's expertise will lead to meaningful improvements and prevent future tragedies.
