Key Summary
- Donna Ockenden will lead the independent review into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity and neonatal services.
- The Trust remains a significant outlier for perinatal mortality according to MBRRACE-UK data.
- Clinical case reviews are set to begin in August 2026, following the development of terms of reference next month.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has appointed Donna Ockenden to lead an independent review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The appointment follows repeated failures at the Trust - one of the largest teaching units in Europe - and reflects specific requests from affected families following direct discussions with the health secretary.
Despite its size and status, Leeds Teaching Hospitals remains a statistical outlier regarding perinatal mortality according to data from MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK).
A BBC investigation last year noted that the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers at the Leeds trust over the past five years could have been prevented.
Ockenden brings significant experience to the role, having previously uncovered systemic failings at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. She is also currently chairing the maternity review at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
From next month, the government will begin working with families to finalise the review's terms of reference, with individual clinical case reviews scheduled to commence in August 2026.
The move is part of a broader government overhaul of maternity care. This includes a national investigation led by Baroness Amos, who published interim findings in February 2026.
Health secretary Wes Streeting also confirmed the launch of a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to turn these recommendations into a concrete national plan.
Streeting said: “Donna Ockenden is an outstanding advocate for families whose voices have not always been heard, and I’m delighted to appoint someone so trusted by those who have been repeatedly let down by the NHS.”
Regarding her new posting, Ockenden said: “It is an honour to have been asked to chair this review, and I feel a profound sense of responsibility to the parents, babies and healthcare professionals it concerns to ensure that we get this right.”
“This review must remain firmly focused on the families who, in many instances, have waited far too long for answers to questions about their care. My priority will be to listen carefully to families and staff, to understand what has gone wrong, and to ensure that the lessons are learned and the changes required are made, in a timely way, thus ensuring that all mothers, their babies and families receive safe, high-quality perinatal care.”
The independent review was initially announced in October last year following repeated maternity failures and concerns regarding clinical outcomes at the Trust's maternity units.
