Shropshire, Leeds Hospitals Dropped from National Maternity Review Amid Police Investigations

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have been removed from a national review of maternity failings led by Baroness Valerie Amos due to ongoing police investigations. The decision, following discussions with West Mercia Police about the schedule of their inquiry, has caused distress and frustration among families affected by the trusts' maternity care failures, particularly in Shropshire where over 200 babies and nine mothers died or were severely harmed. Campaigners, including bereaved mothers Rhiannon Davies and Kayleigh Griffiths, criticized the move as poorly communicated and harmful to understanding the full scope of the maternity care crisis. The reviews aim to assess the worst-performing maternity and neonatal services and are due to report by December. While SaTH's exclusion is tied to a criminal investigation known as Operation Lincoln, Leeds's maternity inquiry is proceeding separately, prompted by recent inspections downgrading their care quality. Health officials emphasize the importance of these inquiries for improving maternity care and providing answers to affected families.