Health Secretary commits to meeting bereaved mother to discuss NHS maternity standards

Katie Fowler had previously written to the Health Secretary to appeal for his support in committing to raising maternity standards, after her daughter Abigail died at only two days old as a result of poor triage and care by the Maternity Assessment Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Mr Streeting, both while in opposition and since his election to Government, has highlighted that maternity services are a priority for him, recently stating that the CQC’s review of maternity provision nationally was a “cause for national shame”.

While Katie’s letter to Mr Streeting initially received a response she has described as “flippant and insulting”, following media attention, the Health Secretary has now committed to meeting with her in November.

Having become a passionate advocate for the need for urgent improvements to maternity standards since Abigail’s death in January 2022, Katie is also part of a group campaigning for a public inquiry into maternity services delivered by University Hospitals Sussex, following the deaths of at least nine babies due to failings between 2021 and 2023.

“I was incredibly disappointed by the response to my letter, but am pleased to now have the opportunity of a meeting with Mr Streeting, which I hope will show that he recognises the need for urgent change to maternity provision,” says Katie, who herself almost died while giving birth to her daughter.

“I am hopeful that Mr Streeting’s previous comments are sincere and he and his department will do all they can to make sure that babies and mothers are no longer dying as a result of avoidable failures.

“I look forward to meeting with Mr Streeting and to hearing more about the Government’s plans for maternity provision. We very much need to see action and not just words, but the fact Mr Streeting has committed to engaging with bereaved parents – as he previously said he would do – is hopefully an encouraging development.”

Nisha Sharma, Principal Lawyer in our medical negligence team, who is acting for Katie and a number of other families who have been impacted by poor standards of maternity care, said she hopes Katie’s meeting with the Health Secretary is a positive step forward.

“Wes Streeting has previously spoken of his commitment to improving maternity services, and how troubled he is by current standards, which is what made his response to Katie’s letter to him all the more disappointing,” says Nisha.

“It is good news that his office has since been in touch with Katie and has committed to a meeting. To truly understand this issue, Mr Streeting needs to meet with bereaved parents directly, to hear their stories first-hand and see how lives have been utterly destroyed as a result of our sub-standard maternity provision.

“Mr Streeting and his department are the ones who can take action and make the necessary improvements, and we can only hope they do so, for the sake of mothers and babies across the country who have no choice but to put their faith in NHS maternity provision to ensure their safety and wellbeing.”

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