The health secretary has made a U-turn over who will lead an independent inquiry into « repeated maternity failures » at an NHS trust.
Wes Streeting has appointed Donna Ockenden, following a campaign by bereaved and harmed families, to lead the review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust.
Ockenden, a senior midwife, is currently leading the maternity review at Nottingham, which is the largest of its kind, examining about 2,500 cases of harm to mothers and babies.
In January 2025 a BBC investigation revealed the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers at the Leeds trust over the past five years may have been prevented.
Streeting first announced the inquiry into the West Yorkshire trust in October 2025, saying it was required to understand what had « gone so catastrophically wrong » at the maternity units at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital.
Days later in a BBC radio interview, Streeting announced that Ockenden would not be the chair of the Leeds review.
In February, families and MPs urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to « intervene and appoint » the senior midwife immediately to head the Leeds inquiry.
Streeting also recently met some of families affected by the deaths, who said they had lost confidence in him.
Amarjit Matharoo, whose daughter Asees was stillborn in January 2024, said it « has been a long, drawn-out, and emotionally draining process to get the assurances that this investigation will be handled with the appropriate methodology and care that it needs ».
Matharoo said they were « grateful that Wes Streeting has listened carefully » and felt « very lucky » to have Ockenden appointed.
Streeting thanked families for « their openness in recent discussions » and said he was « delighted to appoint someone so trusted » by bereaved and harmed families.
Ockenden said she « commends the secretary of state » for « making the right decision from the families’ perspective ».
« Families have been very clear for a very long time that their request was for me to chair their independent maternity services at Leeds.
« They have met with the secretary of state on a number of occasions, and in the last meeting that I believe went on for several hours… he listened very carefully and came back to them and said ‘actually this is the right decision’.
« So I am pleased with that but I do recognise, as we all will, that it has taken a very long time to get to here today, » she said.
Although the full terms of reference for the review are yet to be agreed, the government said it expected it « to involve case reviews of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and serious injuries, hypoxic injuries and maternal deaths » between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2025.
The review will operate on an opt-out basis, with cases that meet the terms of reference automatically included unless families choose otherwise. Clinical case reviews are expected to begin in August.
Fiona Winser-Ramm, whose daughter Aliona Grace died in 2020, said: « We are calling on all those who have been harmed, or whose babies have been harmed, to reach out and engage with the review.
« Whether it was 11 years ago or 11 months ago, your experience matters. Your baby’s life and wellbeing matters, as does yours. »
The BBC’s original investigation featured testimony from whistleblowers who claimed the maternity units were unsafe, despite being rated « good » at the time by the body responsible for inspecting NHS hospitals, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The maternity units were downgraded by the CQC to « inadequate » in June 2025, after unannounced inspections raised concerns that women and babies were « at risk of avoidable harm ».
Inspectors also highlighted a « blame culture » at the trust, which resulted in staff being reluctant to raise concerns and incidents.
In a statement Brendan Brown, Chief Executive of LTH NHS Trust, apologised to families whose babies died or were harmed, and said they welcomed the announcement of a chair being appointed.
« We are absolutely committed to working openly, honestly and transparently with Donna Ockenden and the review team, and with families who have used our services », Brown said.
« I would also like to reassure families in Leeds who will be using our services currently, that significant improvements are already under way in our maternity and neonatal services, following reviews by the Care Quality Commission and NHS England, » he added.
In a statement, the health secretary also said Ockenden was an « outstanding advocate for families whose voices haven’t always been heard » and that « her leadership will bring us closer to lasting change so desperately needed in Leeds ».
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