Ockenden report: 'Climate of fear' stopped staff speaking out at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust

There are concerns a 'climate of fear' stopped staff speaking out at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, where hundreds of babies died or were neglected.

Ahead of its release, a former senior midwife leading a major inquiry into maternity care there has said families have been "silenced or ignored"

A report into the maternity failings of more than 1,800 cases is due to be published on Wednesday.

Baby deaths and allegations of poor maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) have been reviewed by the Ockenden independent inquiry.

It is led by Donna Ockenden, who is currently the senior midwifery adviser to the chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

The Sunday Times quoted Ms Ockenden as saying: "There were numerous opportunities for the system to wake up and realise that there was a problem at this trust. There have been a number of occasions where families tried to be heard over many years and were silenced or ignored."

She added: "We have seen families that have been split apart, families where relationships have been broken, cases of trauma and PTSD that have persisted for years after the event as well as terrible, terrible sadness. At times, after meeting families, I went back to my hotel room and I cried."

An interim report published in December 2020 highlighted a range of failures including not properly listening to parents.

The review said maternity staff had caused distress to patients by using "inappropriate language" and blaming grieving mothers for their loss.

A spokeswoman for the team involved in the final report, due to be published on Wednesday, said they would not be making any comment before then.