The National Maternity & Neonatal Investigation report, published today (Tuesday, June 30) has prompted renewed calls for the return of consultant-led maternity services to Banbury’s Horton Hospital, following a damning report on the John Radcliffe (JR) Hospital maternity unit in Oxford.
The report, led by Baroness Valerie Amos, concluded that England’s maternity system is ‘no longer fit for purpose’ after examining 12 large units, including the JR.
It detailed severe pressure on JR staff caused by outdated facilities, chronic overcrowding and staff shortages, which led to dangerous logjams, long waits and unsafe staffing levels.
Keep the Horton General (KTHG), whose Birth Trauma Dossier was partly responsible for the JR being involved in the investigation, argues that Oxfordshire’s mothers will only be safe if the childbirth workload is shared between two obstetric units, the JR and Horton. This was agreed by stakeholders in 2017 but denied at trust level.
Lady Amos’s report highlights numerous systemic failures, including missed warning signs, failure to act on risks and a culture where mothers’ concerns were dismissed.
It described ‘cramped’ delivery suites with pillars obstructing equipment and poor cleanliness, including blood found in toilets and clinical areas.
Staff were described as stressed and often getting through shifts ‘by the skin of our teeth’.
The report also identified a toxic culture, including a ‘dominant’ and resistant ‘Oxford Way’ that had ignored national guidelines, alongside issues of misogyny, racism and bullying that have led to staff leaving.
You can download and read the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation Trust reports (with the report of the John Radcliffe Hospital on page 97) and the Final Report & Recommendations by following the links below.
Read the National Maternity & Neonatal Investigation Trust Reports
In response, we at KTHG have reiterated our longstanding warnings that the JR would not cope with the loss of the Horton obstetric unit. And we will continue to campaign for a full maternity service to be returned to the Horton for everyone’s safety.
You can read more about KTHG’s response by following the link below.
Read More about KTHG's Response
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust’s interim CEO, Simon Crowther has issued a full apology, stating the Trust is ‘determined to be the service you deserve’.
Raed More about the Apology
One mother who gave birth at the JR had to make herself a bed on the floor to avoid sleeping in a blood-stained hospital trolley.