Babies' deaths at Leeds hospitals could have been prevented, BBC investigation finds

An investigation has found at least 56 babies and two mothers who died in hospitals in Leeds over the past five years could have had their deaths prevented.

Figures obtained by the BBC show cases from January 2019 to July 2024, made up of 27 stillbirths and 29 neonatal deaths - a death within 28 days after birth, were found to be potentially preventable.

In each case, a trust review group identified care issues it considered may have made a difference to the outcome for babies.

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It comes after bereaved families in Leeds formed an action group to offer advice, support and campaign for those who had lost their babies.

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The deaths occurred at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital, and two whistleblowers working within the departments contributed towards the BBC investigation.

The maternity services are currently rated as“good” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the findings of a further report, sparked by concerns raised by families, are due to be published “shortly”, the watchdog said.

Families told the BBC about what they saw as a lack of compassionate care at the trust. One father, Dan Ramm, whose daughter Aliona died just 27 days after she was born, said: “Leeds say they’ve learned lessons, it won't happen again. But it does, and babies keep dying, or being seriously injured, for similar reasons.”

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The Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, a charity that supports anyone affected by pregnancy loss and the death of a baby, said: “The findings of the BBC’s investigation into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity services are very concerning, and they echo what numerous reports and reviews into the safety of maternity and neonatal services across the country have identified along similar themes.

“We understand that news reports like this can bring up all kinds of emotions and Sands is here to support anyone who has been affected by pregnancy or baby loss.”

The charity said the scale of pregnancy and baby loss is not inevitable and is calling for “a safer, personalised maternity system in England which sets ambitious targets to save babies’ lives”.

Professor Phil Wood, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said the “vast majority” of births at Leeds are safe and that the deaths of mothers and babies are “fortunately very rare”.

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In a statement, he said: “We would like to apologise to the women and families who have described negative experiences to the BBC and offer our sincere condolences to those families who have lost loved ones.

“We are committed to providing high quality, inclusive, compassionate, and safe care to families who use our maternity services, and we are sorry to hear that on these occasions we did not deliver this.

“The vast majority of births at Leeds are safe, and deaths of mothers and babies are fortunately very rare.

“However, sometimes in healthcare, the outcomes are not always positive, and we know this can be incredibly distressing for families.

“When this happens, we thoroughly investigate the circumstances, always involving the family, to ensure we learn any lessons for the future.”

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