London has the highest number of babies dying in maternity wards and hospitals

More babies die in hospital in London than in other parts of the country, according to an ITV News London analysis of official figures.

In the year to March 2023, 394 babies died in the first month of life in London, known as ‘neonatal deaths’.

In the same year, there were 376 “infant deaths.” Children who died before the age of one.

These numbers show a steady increase from 2022 onwards.

‘Poor’ maternity care given to mothers and babies during pregnancy and childbirth in some London hospitals may be the reason for the worrying trend.

Seven NHS maternity wards across the capital were ranked as ‘requires improvement’ and two were ranked as ‘inadequate’, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

One London hospital that falls into the ‘inadequate’ category is North Middlesex Hospital in Enfield.

In a report published in December 2023, the CQC updated its independent rating of the region’s maternity wards to ‘inadequate’.

The four-point rating system ranks from “outstanding” to “good” to “requires improvement” to the worst rating, “inadequate.”

ITV News London spoke to family members who say they received inadequate treatment from North Middlesex Hospital.

An alleged failure of maternity services there left the birth of Rebecca and Dan Whitehouse’s son Lucas traumatic and his health permanently compromised.

For nine minutes, Lucas’ head was starved of oxygen.

The NHS subsequently admitted responsibility, and Dan and Jessica also received a letter of reassurance from then Prime Minister David Cameron.

ITV News London spoke to a midwife at North Middlesex Hospital during an investigation into maternity services across the capital and she was not surprised by the overall damning findings of the CQC report.

One midwife, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘To be honest, a lot of people didn’t care. I was really surprised that they didn’t care.

“They were like, ‘That doesn’t concern me.’ And that was very surprising.

“Then I read the report. I can’t remember everything that was written in it, but I definitely agree with it. There wasn’t a single statement where I thought, ‘No, that’s not true.’ did.”

The midwife shared an example of her concerns about certain actions by obstetric staff during labor.

She said: “The worst one was the woman who asked me out on a date after the date, which meant she was past her deadline.

“The scans said the baby was growing normally, but with each additional oxytocin drip, the baby’s heart rate dropped dramatically.

“The baby was very poor and very small, so for some reason the scans weren’t accurate and it took a while for the baby to come back.

“Then we had to leave the hospital for so-called cooling. We don’t know what the actual outcome of that baby was.”

This is an example of what she believes is an issue that can be avoided during childbirth.

But regulators found further systemic problems at North Middlesex Hospital that put patients at risk.

Issues such as staffing and a culture of fear.

Midwives reiterated these factors and described their workplace as a place with staffing issues and a culture of fear.

She said, “Body language and (and) certain language definitely contribute to the fear of de-escalation. And there’s definitely a culture of bullying.

“So people would rather save face than escalate the issue and potentially save the life of the baby and the mother.”

It is important to note that although London has the highest number of infant deaths in hospitals in all of England, it also has the highest population and therefore the highest number of mothers giving birth per capita.

When ITV News London’s analysis was relayed to Renee Byrne, chief nurse at North Middlesex University Hospital, she said: “We received specific information about maternity services from the CQC. At the time we took it very seriously and responded immediately.”

“We have improved our staffing, we have also introduced new rules in response to some of the issues identified, and we have taken a collective approach to delivering on our improvement plans.”

If you have been affected by the article above, you can access a free support chat and helpline through the charity Sands. here.

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