More shocking revelations about maternity care show something is very wrong

Editorial: The failings in Nottingham are not identical to those seen in previous scandals, but they suggest a national problem

It is time that the government put in place a nationwide review of maternity services (Getty)

The revelations about the state of maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust are as shocking as they are depressingly reminiscent of previous episodes across England. Thanks to whistleblowers and strong investigative journalism, yet another example of neglect and worse has been identified, despite the attempts of hospital managers to obfuscate and obstruct. The truth, though, is coming out, and is reported today.

In recent years, families in Morecambe Bay, in Shrewsbury and in east Kent have all had to deal with multiple and systemic medical failures resulting in needless loss of life, injury, and every sort of pain. Involving as they do the lives of newborn babies, the stories are inevitably distressing, but the institutional callousness so often experienced would be unacceptable in any branch of medicine.

The circumstances in the various maternity units are not identical – they could hardly be, given the nature of the cases – but something of a pattern seems apparent. Or, rather, it should have become apparent when the first of this series of scandals became public knowledge. The disturbing possibility is that many more hospital maternity services across England, at least, may be subject to similar shortcomings – a major national problem.