Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Families gather for memorial

Within the walls of Shrewsbury Abbey there lay unspeakable tragedy, Donna Ockenden said

Families affected by maternity failings which may have led to the deaths of 201 babies gathered for a memorial service.

At Shrewsbury Abbey on Monday, a special service remembered those who died and who continue to be affected.

A review into services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) in Shropshire found years of failures.

It was led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, who exposed the scandal at the Shropshire NHS Trust and published her findings earlier this year.

Steph Hotchkiss, Hayley Matthews and Rev Charlotte Cheshire have all been affected by failings at the trust

Her report disclosed that over 20 years, errors at the trust led to babies being stillborn, dying after birth or being left severely brain damaged.

"It was very moving, these families have been through so much," she said. "Within the walls of the abbey there was unspeakable tragedy."

Among those present were Steph Hotchkiss, Hayley Matthews and Julie Rowlings. Their babies Sophiya, Jack and Olivia all died shortly after being born at the trust.

"It was quite an intense environment in there," Ms Hotchkiss said. "Seeing all the families and just wishing none of us had to be here."

Julie Rowlings lost her daughter Olivia in 2002 and said everyone in the abbey understood each other's pain

Ms Rowlings described the service as a culmination of everything the families had gone through.

"To come in and be surrounded by families who get it," she said. "Every one of us in there understood each other's pain."

Jill Edwards did not realise she was not alone after daughter Kirsty was seriously injured at birth

Jill Edwards also attended with her daughter Kirsty Dallow, who suffered severe brain damage when she was born at the trust in 1983.

"For a long time, because Kirsty's 39, I didn't know about anyone else until this review started," Ms Edwards said. Since finding out she was not alone, she said it was "nice to have that voice".

Ms Ockenden, who has since been commissioned to investigate maternity services in Nottingham, said SaTH was working towards improvements.