Parents asked to speak to maternity investigation

Helen Gittos lost her baby Harriett in 2014

Parents and families in east Kent have been invited to give evidence to the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation.

Led by Baroness Amos, the investigation is due to look at 12 local maternity and neonatal services in NHS trusts across England including East Kent and University Hospitals Sussex and is due to report its initial findings in December.

The maternity review team is planning to hold meetings in community settings with families in east Kent on 11 November.

Helen Gittos, who lost her baby Harriett in 2014, said she was worried the meetings had been arranged at short notice. "There's a risk that families will feel that such engagement is tokenistic and not meaningful," she said.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust was the subject of an investigation by Dr Bill Kirkup who uncovered a "clear pattern" of "sub-optimal" care that led to significant harm at the trust's maternity departments.

The Kirkup report reviewed an 11-year period from 2009 at two Kent hospitals, the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM) in Margate, and the William Harvey in Ashford.

Ms Gittos said her daughter Harriet, who was born at the QEQM, was a "full term" baby, and "a perfectly healthy child".

"She sustained a brain injury during her birth and lived for just a week," she said at the time of the publication of the Kirkup report.

'Tokenistic'

Speaking about the opportunity to give evidence to the National Investigation team Ms Gittos said she wanted things to get better.

"It's good that Baroness Amos and her team are looking at how East Kent has responded since the report because I, and many other families, are so disappointed by how little has changed.

"I'd encourage any families with concerns to get in touch with the team to share their experiences."

However, while welcoming the government's efforts to improve maternity services, she added: "There's a risk that families will feel that such engagement is tokenistic and not meaningful – with brief meetings arranged at short notice and with little effort to advertise them."

A spokesperson for the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation said it was "conducting site visits at 12 NHS trusts as part of its evidence gathering process".

The said: "This includes a visit to East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust scheduled for the week commencing 10th November.

"During the visit, the investigation team will hold an evidence panel with women and families including fathers and non-birthing partners in a community venue."

They added: "The investigation is deeply grateful to all affected families for their time, openness, and contributions to these panels, which will be vital in shaping our recommendations."