Home / Health / Hospital Apologizes for Stillbirth Data Error
Hospital Apologizes for Stillbirth Data Error
16 Apr
Summary
- Hospital trust admitted sharing incorrect stillbirth data.
- An apology was issued for distress caused to families.
- A national review into maternity care failings is underway.
Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust has issued an apology to families for incorrectly reporting stillbirth data. The inaccurate figures were presented to the county's joint health overview scrutiny committee (JHOSC) in January. Following concerns raised by the Families Failed by OUH group, the trust acknowledged the reporting error.
In a letter to the JHOSC, interim chief executive Simon Crowther apologized for the distress caused by the mistake, which involved reporting 2022 figures instead of 2023. He stated the error was corrected within two weeks and internal sign-off processes have been strengthened to prevent future issues.
The trust, which manages maternity services at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and Horton General Hospital in Banbury, is involved in a national review of maternity care failings. A BBC investigation revealed that an estimated 58 babies could have been saved with improved care.
Rebecca Matthews of Families Failed by OUH welcomed the apology but criticized the withholding of further details at the January meeting. The JHOSC has offered a facilitation exercise to aid discussions between the trust and concerned families.
