Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced an independent inquiry into ‘repeated failings’ at the maternity ward of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. (LTH)

This comes in response to an investigation by the BBC in 2024 which found that the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers at LTH over the past five years may have been preventable.

Announcing the review, Mr Streeting said there was a “ stark contradiction between scale and safety standards is precisely why I’m taking this exceptional step to order an urgent inquiry in Leeds.”

He added: “We have to give the families the honesty and accountability they deserve and end the normalisation of deaths of women and babies in maternity units.”

The review is expected to follow a similar approach to the inquiry into Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, which is currently being investigated over 2,500 cases of maternity care failings.

Speaking in response to the inquiry’s announcement, Brendan Brown, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I would like to reiterate an unreserved apology to families whose babies have sadly died or who have had a poor experience when receiving care in our hospitals.

“As the new Chief Executive of the Trust, I would like to take this opportunity to confirm our commitment to working openly, honestly and transparently with the inquiry team and with families who have used our services. We hope this inquiry will provide answers for those families who have been seeking them.”

Details involving the inquiry have yet to be finalised, and there is no official start date for the LTH review.