Streeting vows action as families demand Ockenden lead Leeds inquiry

Wes Streeting said he “takes the concerns of bereaved families ‘extremely seriously’” as pressure mounted over the unfilled chairmanship of an independent inquiry into maternity services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Families, MPs and legal representatives say months of delay have deepened distrust after an investigation found the deaths of at least 56 babies over the past five years may have been prevented, with one campaign group adding that two mothers might also have died unnecessarily.

Streeting acknowledged that trust had been “damaged” and offered a personal commitment to a rigorous process. “Losing a baby is devastating beyond words, and you deserve not just answers, but a process you can trust,” he told journalists, adding that “the strength and dignity these families have shown, while carrying unimaginable grief shows extraordinary courage. I am personally committed to ensuring this inquiry is thorough, independent, and puts families at its heart.” He was pictured speaking to a journalist at NHS England’s headquarters in a blue suit and tie.

No chair has been appointed for the Leeds inquiry, and bereaved families have urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to appoint senior midwife Donna Ockenden. Ockenden, who led earlier investigations into Shrewsbury and Telford and is currently leading a Nottingham inquiry examining about 2,500 cases, has said she is “ready to chair the review into Leeds maternity services and can begin work immediately if asked.” Some local reporting has suggested she may only be available after issuing a final Nottingham report in June, a timing that families dispute.

A letter from five MPs sent to Downing Street this month said: “Leeds families have lost faith and confidence in the Secretary of State for Health's handling of this inquiry.” The cross-party group, which includes Labour and Conservative signatories, urged immediate intervention, citing worries about delays and the risk that an unsuitable chair could use an “untested and unrefined methodology.”

Legal and clinical developments have already raised the stakes. Irwin Mitchell represents more than 30 families pursuing action against the trust, and campaigners say some bereaved relatives first organised through a Facebook group to press for answers. In at least one inquest a coroner found “gross failures” that “directly contributed” to a death, and the Nottingham inquiry has prompted a corporate manslaughter investigation by police, a precedent families point to when demanding an independent, evidence-led chair in Leeds. “Many people don’t even know they’re victims yet and it is going to snowball at an alarming pace,” one campaigner said.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals said it was “taking significant steps to address improvements” when the inquiry was announced. The inquiry will run alongside a national review of maternity and neonatal services led by Baroness Valerie Amos, raising questions about overlapping remits, evidence sharing and the speed with which reforms can be implemented across trusts.

For patients and families the immediate consequence is continued uncertainty: outstanding clinical answers, unresolved legal claims, and a fracturing of confidence in local maternity care. For the NHS the episode threatens reputational damage, potential legal and financial liabilities, and a strain on staff morale at two major hospital sites, Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital. Ministers must now decide whether to accede to calls for Ockenden, set a clear timetable for appointment and publication of terms of reference, and ensure the inquiry’s remit avoids duplication with the national review while delivering the swift accountability families demand.