Bereaved parents urged to join independent review of Sussex maternity services

An independent review led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden has launched in Sussex to investigate over 1,000 maternity and neonatal cases dating back to 2018. The probe follows years of campaigning by bereaved families, including the group The Truth for Our Babies, after reports emerged that at least 55 baby deaths at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust may have been avoidable. Trust chief executive Dr. Andy Heeps has welcomed the review and committed to fully supporting the process to improve safety.

Donna Ockenden Sussex maternity review

• ▪The independent review of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is expected to investigate more than 1,000 maternity and neonatal cases dating back to 2018.
• ▪The independent review of Sussex maternity services was announced in 2025 by the then Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
• ▪Senior midwife Donna Ockenden is leading an independent review into maternity and neonatal services provided by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.
• ▪Donna Ockenden previously led landmark reviews into maternity care failings at NHS trusts in Shrewsbury and Telford, Nottingham, and is chairing a review in Leeds.

Avoidable baby deaths Sussex hospitals

• ▪Susan Cacciacarro's daughter Chiara was delivered stillborn at Worthing Hospital in 2021 after maternity staff failed to expedite her birth despite a scan showing weight loss.
• ▪A joint investigation by the New Statesman and the BBC in February 2026 revealed that the deaths of at least 55 babies at University Hospitals Sussex might have been avoidable.
• ▪Walter German died in December 2020 after being starved of oxygen at birth at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, leading his parents to remove life support.

Bereaved families campaign efforts

• ▪Bereaved parents Noel German and Eileen McCarthy, whose son Walter died, are urging other affected families to come forward and participate in the Sussex maternity review.
• ▪The campaign group The Truth for Our Babies has spent years campaigning to secure the independent review into Sussex maternity services.

Public meetings family engagement

• ▪Donna Ockenden stated that her team will proactively reach out to ensure the voices of seldom-heard families are included in the Sussex maternity review.
• ▪The independent review launched its first public meeting in Brighton on September 5, 2026, allowing families to meet the review team and shape the terms of reference.

Trust safety improvement commitments

• ▪A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated that the government is working to ensure safer NHS maternity care through a national taskforce and increased investment.
• ▪Dr. Andy Heeps, chief executive of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, stated the trust is committed to fully supporting the review and improving safety.

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