Key facts
- Bereaved parents will give evidence at an independent review of maternity and neonatal services in Sussex.
- The review is led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, who previously led similar investigations in Shrewsbury and Telford, and Nottingham.
- Susan Cacciacarro will share her experience of her daughter Chiara being stillborn due to alleged failures in care.
- The review will investigate over 1,000 maternity and neonatal cases dating back to 2018.
- The University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust has welcomed the review and pledged full support.
- The Department of Health and Social Care stated that reforms are underway to improve NHS maternity care nationwide.
An independent review into maternity and neonatal services in Sussex has been launched, with bereaved parents set to give evidence. Susan Cacciacarro shared her devastating experience of her first child, Chiara, being stillborn at 39 weeks after a high-risk pregnancy was not managed with sufficient urgency. Despite scans revealing the baby had lost weight, a plan to expedite the birth was not made.
The review, led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, who has previously chaired significant maternity safety inquiries, commenced with a public meeting in Brighton. Ockenden emphasized the need for meticulous detail to ensure no family is overlooked and that the review provides answers and drives improvements in care. The review will examine over 1,000 maternity and neonatal cases dating back to 2018.
Campaigners from the Truth for Our Babies group are urging other affected families to come forward. Dr. Andy Heeps, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, expressed condolences to the families and committed to full support for the review process, stating a priority to provide the safest possible care and implement positive changes. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson echoed these sentiments, highlighting ongoing national efforts to enhance maternity safety across the NHS.