Donna Ockenden Appointed to Lead Independent Review into Leeds Maternity Services

The government has confirmed that senior midwife Donna Ockenden will lead the independent review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, following pressure from bereaved and affected families.

The appointment comes after a change in position from the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, who had initially announced that Ockenden would not chair the inquiry. Families, campaigners and MPs subsequently called for the decision to be reconsidered, arguing that her experience and independence were essential to ensuring confidence in the review.

Independent review into maternity and neonatal care

The inquiry will examine maternity and neonatal services at the Trust’s hospitals, including Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital.

The review is expected to examine cases involving stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and serious injuries between January 2011 and December 2025. The investigation will operate on an opt-out basis, meaning that cases meeting the criteria will be included unless families choose otherwise.

The announcement follows growing concern about maternity care at the Trust. Previous inspections by the Care Quality Commission downgraded the Trust’s maternity services to “inadequate”, raising concerns that women and babies were at risk of avoidable harm.

The government has said the review will focus on understanding what happened, listening to families’ experiences and identifying lessons that can help improve maternity care.

Families’ voices at the heart of the review

Families affected by maternity failures at the Trust have campaigned for several years for a fully independent review. Many welcomed the confirmation that Ockenden will now lead the investigation.

Ockenden previously chaired the review into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and is currently leading the major inquiry into maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Her work has focused on ensuring families’ experiences are heard and that learning from harm leads to meaningful improvements in maternity safety.

Fletchers Solicitors Welcomes this Announcement

Responding to the announcement, Sahida Patel, Joint Head of the Birth Injury Team at Fletchers Solicitors, welcomed the decision and emphasised the importance of learning from families’ experiences.

Sahida Patel said: “As someone who has represented families whose babies have been harmed, left with life-changing brain injuries, or tragically lost their lives, I welcome the appointment of Donna Ockenden to lead this independent review.

“For many families, the most important outcome is ensuring that their experiences lead to meaningful improvements in maternity care. Independent reviews play a vital role in helping services understand what has happened and identifying how care can be made safer for the future.

“We are pleased that the Health Secretary has listened to the voices of families and confirmed Donna Ockenden as chair of the review. It is important that the investigation is thorough and that lessons are identified so that improvements can be made as quickly as possible.

“Every family deserves safe, compassionate maternity care, and it is vital that reviews such as this help strengthen services so that fewer families experience the devastating impact of avoidable harm.”

Learning and improving maternity care

Independent reviews can play an important role in identifying patterns, learning lessons and supporting improvements in maternity care across the NHS.

For families affected by harm, they can also provide an opportunity for their experiences to be heard and for their voices to contribute to meaningful change. It sits at the centre of our Campaign For Every Birth, For Every Baby, For Every Family in which we champion better maternity care through our clients stories and experience.

The Leeds review is expected to begin clinical case assessments later this year once the terms of reference have been finalised.