Bereaved parents are encouraging families to participate in a series of public meetings connected to a significant review of maternity and neonatal services in Sussex. The first meeting is scheduled for 5 September in Brighton, where parents will meet senior midwife Donna Ockenden.
This independent review is examining care provided by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx) and will investigate over 1,000 maternity and neonatal cases dating back to 2018. Families have been invited to help shape the review's terms of reference and learn how they can contribute.
Noel German and Eileen McCarthy, whose son Walter died a week after birth, are urging other families to come forward. They believe it is an opportunity to "get the truth uncovered and get some legacy for their babies." The trust stated its commitment to fully supporting the review and that its thoughts remain with affected families.