Protecting human rights in childbirth
Registered Charity Number 1151152
Nobody expected the Ockenden report published last week to be an easy read. However the breadth and pervasiveness of the issues at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust over such a prolonged period of time is staggering to comprehend. That this led to the avoidable deaths of women and hundreds of babies is absolutely heart-breaking … Read more
Today (Wednesday 30 March) the long-awaited final report of Donna Ockenden’s review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust will be published. Amy Gibbs, Birthrights’ Chief Executive, said ‘It is devastating to hear the scale of deaths, injuries and trauma that might have been prevented at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. Our thoughts … Read more
Last week, a further letter before action was sent to Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board making clear that we do not regard one hour postnatal visiting for partners to be enough, and we await the Board’s full explanation of how this decision was reached. The law firm Irwin Mitchell wrote to Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board with a letter … Read more
Leigh Day have sent a letter before action to Betsi Cadwaladr, on behalf of Birthrights and a local couple expecting a baby. The letter asks the Health Board to explain why there have been no substantial changes to visiting arrangements in maternity services since November. Partners are not able to visit their other halves or … Read more
Birthrights has today published legal advice, which states that requiring a partner or new parent to self-isolate may be unlawful in certain circumstances. We have written to NHS England & Improvement, asking them to correct the paragraphs in their visiting guidance for maternity services which suggest that partners or new parents should always be asked … Read more
Birthrights has received legal advice stating that Trusts which prevent partners from attending scans, and don’t allow partners to be involved in the appointment remotely, may be acting unlawfully and unreasonably.
You may have heard talk of IDECIDE – a new tool to help healthcare professionals to support women to make informed decisions in labour. In this blog we explain what IDECIDE is, where it came from, and when you can expect to see it in action… OK, so what is IDECIDE? IDECIDE is a digital … Read more
We are pleased that the MBRRACE-UK report: Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care has finally been published today. The findings – yet again exposing serious racial inequalities in maternal deaths – are a stark reminder of the urgent need to share the lessons learned from these tragedies, to improve care and save lives. On 26 November, … Read more
Last week, Birthrights challenged NHS England’s decision not to publish the annual maternity care MBRRACE report until after the election. We received a response from NHS England’s lawyers stating they would reply substantively to our concerns within 14 days (by 10 December) and intend to publish the report on 13 December. Our solicitors, Leigh Day, … Read more
Birthrights are challenging NHS England’s decision not to publish a report on maternity care, known as the MBRRACE report, until after the election. Birthrights, a charity that promotes human rights in maternity care, argues that the MBRRACE report ‘Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care’ should be published before the election as it is an impartial and … Read more