Worries for expectant mothers after baby deaths

Improvements in staffing and culture have been made at Gloucestershire's hospitals, the chief executive of the hospitals trust said

A hospital trust has outlined improvements it has made to maternity services after a councillor claimed pregnant women must be "petrified" to give birth there.

In addition to 44 neonatal deaths between 2020 and 2023 at Gloucestershire hospitals, there were seven maternal deaths between 2017 and 2023, according to a report presented to the county council's health overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday.

Councillor Rebecca Trimnell branded the deaths "scandalous" and asked what reassurances Gloucestershire NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust could give expectant mothers.

Chief executive of the trust Kevin McNamara said improvements in staffing and culture had been made.

It was previously found that missed opportunities may have improved the outcome of nine of the neonatal deaths.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports two external reviews were commissioned to identify what the trust could learn from the deaths.

Ms Trimnell said: "I had my daughter 20 years ago and if I was a pregnant mother now going to give birth I would be absolutely petrified," she said.

"It's quite easy for one of us to say, 'Oh, let's reopen the Aveta unit'. But quite frankly, isn't that the reason why it is not being opened?

"Is it because it would be unsafe to open it and therefore I wouldn't want to see it open if it wasn't being staffed correctly?"

Kevin McNamara said most women who give birth in Gloucestershire have positive experiences

Chief executive Kevin McNamara said the trust knows "that sort of fear might drive choices that may not be helpful to mums".

He said the trust's job is to focus on "not downplaying the issues" but explain what it is doing to improve the situation, which include staff recruitment, better oversight and a "safer culture" in terms of speaking up.

"The vast majority of women who come through the doors of our hospital have no issue," he said.

Matt Holdaway, quality and chief nurse director, said the trust has evidence that they are improving and is committed to making improvements to maternity services central to their focus.