Campaign launched for families impacted by failings in Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) maternity care – what you need to know.

“Families Failed by the OUH Maternity Services” has brought together over 500 families for both support and strength, but is also calling for an independent inquiry into the maternity provisions in Oxfordshire.

The overall goal of the campaign is to ultimately bring about more accountability for failings and to bring about positive systemic change. Their hope is this will ensure future families are treated with respect and dignity.

It is sad to see such as large number of people join a group such as this as clearly shows something is not working with the services being provided.

There are families who have suffered the loss of their baby, families of children with profound disabilities and parents who have suffered significant psychological harm as a result of their experiences. A single theme of lives being devastated is clear.

I wholeheartedly support the campaign. It is important that patients harmed in such a way are given a ‘voice’ and are listened to, so that such practices are scrutinised to ensure patient safety is prioritised.

The OUH will be included within the National Maternity Review headed by Baroness Amos.

It was announced on 15 September 2025 that the Oxford University Hospital Trust will be one of 14 hospitals to be investigated as part of a “rapid review”.  The purpose is to carry out an investigation which will make recommendations to urgently improve care and safety in maternity and neonatal care.

The Department of Health have said they will put families at the heart of the work and will be seeking input from affected families to help shape the investigation.

A focus will be on:

1. understanding the experiences of affected women and families;
2. identifying lessons learned;
3. driving the improvements needed to ensure high quality and safe maternity/neonatal care.

The full list of Trusts to be included is:

• Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust
• East Kent Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust
• Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
• The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
• The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
• University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
• Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

The “Families Failed by the OUH Maternity Services” campaign has received attention from national media and appears to be gathering momentum.

However, if you are currently undergoing care at the OUH or have in the past, to ensure that the campaign achieves its aims it is worth:

1. If you have gone through/going through your birth journey at the OUH and feel you need support – join the campaign.
2. Submit your story to the campaign and be part of their media coverage. This helps collate as many experiences as possible to look for trends and themes which can then be addressed.
3. Seek support – do not suffer in silence.
4. If you would help with either understanding the legal process or guidance when it comes to charities that can help you please read our guide to maternal injury claims.

Our medical negligence experts at RWK Goodman have extensive experience working with mums who’ve been negligently injured in the course of traumatic births, as well as families who have been impacted by injuries affecting their newborn children too.