Revealed: Concerns about maternity programme of the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

It was set up to investigate harms and deaths of babies and mothers during birth - but staff have warned that there are fundamental flaws in the national organisation for patient safety which may end up making outcomes even worse.

In fact, this programme has discovered through freedom of information figures that the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch has had little impact on baby deaths and harms since its maternity arm was established five years ago.

We spoke to whistleblowers inside HSIB as well as bereaved parents.

Warning: This report contains details and images that some viewers may find distressing.

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[MsZoe]

This is why I went back to my home country (Israel) to give birth. 2 doctors — 1 senior and 1 more junior (but also very experienced) — were supervising the birth, as is common practice. During the active birth the senior doctor decided an episiotomy was necessary to get my baby out asap, due to her heart rate dropping. The midwife reckoned I could still keep pushing but the doctor made a judgment call. God bless the doctor and the Israeli health system. Mine was a simple, very quick and straightforward birth, but still a doctor’s input was necessary to ensure mine and my baby’s safety. Somehow nhs uk has reached different conclusions despite tragedies happening all the time, some of which are completely avoidable.

[sadiemoon]

This is awful, I’ve had 2 terrible births on the nhs… my second daughter was born at 36 weeks due to preeclampsia… I was left in a room on my own in labour (as there was no staff on the labour ward) it ended up being an emergency as her heart beat went down, the heart machines didn’t work properly and she was born with the cord around her neck… luckily she was ok and is now 2… but the experience was terrifying… I am now scared of hospitals and any medical environments.. I’m so sorry that people are losing there babies and going through all of this.

[evans]

What we need is qualified professionals, more than one O level please!

[sunandanarayanan]

Nurses and doctors need to get paid and nhs needs to better funded

[satansbunny]

And yet everyone seemingly supports the strikes for more money...well deserved for appaling care..not

[tjmarx]

These are the very same nurses and junior doctors disregarding the safety and indeed very lives of patients, in order to make unreasonable pay demands which if met would only worsen the economic state for the country as a whole. There's a reason UK nurses rank amongst the lowest performing in the OECD. They don't deserve your support in strike action, they desire your ire for it.