The families of nine babies who died under the care of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust have called for an inquiry into failings in NHS (National Health Service) maternity services. Between 2021 and 2023, nine babies died, and four mothers reportedly almost lost their lives while under the trust’s care.
In a letter to Members of Parliament, the families demanded a public inquiry into ongoing “errors in maternity care,” which they claim could lead to more fatalities. The letter implicates two hospitals: the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and Worthing Hospital.
“All our babies were otherwise healthy and would have grown up if not for the failings in care and the dismissal of our concerns,” the families wrote. “Our children lost an entire life; they never got a chance to grow up, to learn to walk and speak, to make friends, to witness the awe and beauty of our planet.”
In March, a coroner ruled that neglect by staff at Worthing Hospital contributed to the death of 14-day-old baby Orlando Davis in September 2021. Orlando succumbed to a fatal brain injury two weeks after birth due to the hospital failing to recognize a rare condition affecting his mother, Robyn Davis.
Alongside the families’ call for an inquiry, the trust is under a separate police investigation into 105 alleged cases of medical negligence—84 related to neurology and 21 to gastroenterology.
Britain’s socialized NHS has been plagued by several scandals recently, including an “accidental amputation” epidemic and revelations that tens of thousands of patients were treated with HIV-infected blood.
