Bereaved Worthing Families Demand Inquiry into Maternity Services Failings

Bereaved Worthing families are among those who have called for a public inquiry into the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust following the deaths of nine babies.

The families have written to their MPs, citing “poor standards of care” and systemic failures in the trust’s maternity services.

The families, whose babies died at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Worthing Hospital, and Princess Royal Hospital, have expressed their concerns over the period from 2021 to 2023.

Four of the nine mothers nearly died due to inadequate maternity care. One of the cases involved Robyn and Jonny Davis from Steyning who lost their son Orlando at 14 days old, with a coroner ruling that neglect contributed to his death.

The group has urged for accountability and improvements to prevent future tragedies. They highlighted a lack of urgency and responsiveness from maternity teams and emphasised the need for additional interventions to safeguard mothers and babies.

In response, Dr Maggie Davies, chief nurse at the trust, offered condolences and outlined steps taken to improve services, including hiring more midwives and implementing a nationally recommended triage process.