Leeds maternity scandal: Streeting to 'have discussions' with Donna Ockenden about chairing inquiry

Ever since Mr Streeting announced the inquiry into the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust last October, Ms Ockenden has been the bereaved families’ choice to act as chair.

However, the Health Secretary has appeared reluctant to appoint her, and has not spoken to her in the intervening period.

Only last week, Ms Ockenden told The Yorkshire Post that she was happy to take this on after her Nottingham commitments were complete.

This afternoon, Mr Streeting met a number of the bereaved families at the Department for Health and Social Care, and after an hours-long meeting committed to speaking to Ms Ockenden and appointing a chair in a week’s time.

He said: “The strength and dignity these families have shown in the face of such profound loss shows extraordinary courage and they deserve not just answers but a process they can trust and an inquiry they can have full confidence in.

“I will reflect carefully on the representations made to me by the families today, particularly about the appointment of a chair to the inquiry.

“I will now have discussions with Donna Ockenden and others about the next steps and will be able to provide an update, including about the chair, in a week's time.”

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 representing more than 30 families in action against the trust.

Lauren Caulfield was one of the bereaved parents who attended the meeting, whose daughter Grace was stillborn in 2022.

Medical staff then lost Ms Caulfield’s placenta, meaning vital tests to ascertain Grace’s cause of death could not be done.

A Health Safety Investigation Branch report found several care issues including Grace’s growth not being consistently monitored because of the use of different systems between Leeds and Bradford, where Ms Caulfield was also being treated.

The 28-year-old said: “We do feel very, very optimistic about what this future holds.

“We have been assured from Wes himself that there will be daily communication with updates as to the progression of getting Donna appointed.”

Prior to this meeting, Ms Caulfield told this paper that she felt Mr Streeting had been “gaslighting” the families.

However, following the hours-long discussion she said the Health Secretary has “truly listened to us today”.

“He has very much reflected on his original decision and now has to have certain conversations before now coming back with a final decision on who should chair the inquiry,” she added.

Leeds East MP Richard Burgon said: “I want to put on record what a powerful set of testimonies the bereaved families from Leeds, including my own constituency, made.

“At the end of the meeting, the Secretary of State promised that he would be going away and having further conversations with Donna Ockenden.

“An inquiry of this nature can’t succeed unless it has the trust and confidence of the affected families.

“The families and I are very clear that appointing Donna Ockenden as chair is the way to ensure the trust and confidence of the families.”