More parents affected by maternity failings, bereaved warn

Parents whose babies were harmed or died in the care of an NHS trust say they believe more families have been impacted by maternity failings.

Many were present to hear Health Secretary Wes Streeting announce that senior midwife Donna Ockenden will lead a review into maternity services at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust.

Chelsea Gowar and Oliver Thompson, who lost their daughter Bonnie in 2025, said: "When you have lost a child, you become part of this horrible club that nobody else really understands."

Dr Andy Heeps, chief executive of the trust, said it would do all it could to support the review and "help families get the answers they seek".

Gowar's daughter was born at 26 weeks and two days by emergency caesarean following a category one transfer from Worthing Hospital to Portsmouth.

After the baby spent time in intensive care, she was transferred back to the couple's local hospital.

"Within four days, she was given a blood transfusion, and then following her blood transfusion, she died later that day," Gowar said.

"I hope that there's true accountability, that the hospital take responsibility for their part in all of the babies that have passed away or have been harmed at the hands of the trust."

Thompson added: "I would never ever want another human being to have to go through such trauma.

"If we can be part of a process to potentially make change and stop that happening again for others."

Donna Ockenden is a former clinical midwife who led the Ockenden Review which revealed, at the time, the biggest maternity scandal in NHS history, highlighting serious failings in maternity care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

In May 2022, she was appointed chair of the independent review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, currently the largest investigation into a single service in the NHS.

Families impacted have formed the Truth for Our Babies group.

Bereaved mother Katie Fowler said she believed that the group was a key part of the success of the campaign to have Donna Ockenden appointed.

"We were a group of nine to begin with and we've always known that there are other cases out there," she said.

Fowler is urging other families to come forward via their Facebook group.

"Your voice matters, your family matters," she added.

"Your experience could help build a clear and undeniable picture of the level of harm that has occurred across the trust."

Bereaved mother Liz Charlton has spoken publicly about "maternity failings", which she said had led to the death of her daughter, Hazel, in 2021.

Her husband Anthony described the pressure that Hazel's death had put on the couple.

"Ups and downs, going to counselling to try and get out of the darkest of black holes financially because you're having to take time off work, having to explain to the bosses why you can't get to work because you're literally bedridden with the grief," he said.

"It's gone on for too long and hopefully we can get the right answers and get this review done."

Heeps welcomed the announcement that Ockenden had been appointed to lead the independent review.

"The loss of a baby is the worst thing that a parent can imagine, let alone experience. For any family who has been through such a trauma, I am deeply sorry," he said.

"We hope this announcement will provide some reassurance to families."

Heeps also reassured families using the trust's maternity services today.

"We know that trust has to be earned through the care we provide and the action we take, and we have made important changes in recent years to strengthen the safety and quality of the care we provide to people now," he added.

"We know there is more to do, and we will keep working with openness, humility and determination to deliver the safest and best care possible."

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