WARRINGTON and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says it is committed to being “open and transparent with patients and their families” about what has gone wrong following data revealing nearly 40 claims against the Trust related to birth injuries and maternity negligence since 2020.
While Warrington and Halton has been rated ‘Good’ by the CQC following their inspection in 2023, many maternity care services across the country being classed as ‘failing’ in recent years and the number of claims related to birth injuries has increased.
Figures obtained by Medical Negligence Assist found that, since 2020, patients have lodged nearly 40 claims related to birth injuries against Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust.
In June of this year, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, ordered a national investigation into “failing” services for women and babies, which classed as many as two-thirds of 131 NHS maternity units as “inadequate” or “requires improvement”.
Gareth Lloyd, a medical negligence solicitor for legal firm JF Law, said: “The NHS routinely pays out millions of pounds in compensation every year for entirely avoidable injuries suffered by both mother and baby as a result of substandard maternity care.
“If a baby is not delivered correctly, the nature of these injuries can often be life-changing, affecting not only the child but the entire family.”
From 2020 to 2025, 38 claims regarding birth injuries were lodged against Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust.
The highest number of claims made against the trust came in 2023/24, with a total of 10.
There is a wide range of injuries that can result from births, such as bone fractures, especially of the collarbone or brachial plexus injuries, which involve damage to nerves in the neck and shoulder.
Other common types of birth injuries caused by oxygen deprivation can directly affect the brain through conditions like cerebral palsy or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Complications can arise from different factors like prolonged or difficult labour, fetal malposition, delivery trauma and maternal conditions such as diabetes or infection.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it had inherited “an unacceptable situation where too many families are suffering from botched care” and the NHS is “paying billions for its mistakes, rather than fixing them”.
According to figures gathered by NHS Resolution, 5,991 claims have been made against NHS trusts across the country since 2020 for obstetric negligence.
Of these claims, 2,955 were settled with trusts having to pay out a total of £2,242,073,583 in compensation to claimants who may have suffered a range of injuries..
There are many possible primary injuries associated with these claims, including cerebral palsy, psychological damage and fatalities. However, the main injury noted in many claims made against the NHS was stillbirths, which were responsible for 272 claims over the past five years.
Speaking to Medical Negligence Assist, Gareth Lloyd said: “In recent years, there has been a litany of scandals involving poor maternity care across the country, and sadly, in my professional experience, I have seen too many cases where both baby and mother have suffered avoidable harm.”
“While pursuing a birth injury claim can be emotionally difficult, it’s important to hold healthcare providers accountable and ensure families receive the long-term support their child will need.”
Medical Negligence Assist offers support to patients who may have suffered harm as a result of substandard maternity care and can see if they have grounds to submit a claim.
They operate a 24-hour helpline, along with an online claim form, which can be accessed on their website.
In response to the data, Ali Kennah, Chief Nurse for Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “At Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals ensuring patients are safe in our care is of the greatest importance to us. The Trust has made a significant investment into our maternity estate and our services are rated ‘Good’ by the CQC following their inspection in 2023.
“Many of our areas have been recognised for good practice to provide safe maternity care and we apologise to any patients and their families who did not receive the high standard of care that we aim to provide.
“On the rare occasion that a patient safety incident does occur we undertake a full investigation and review. We are committed to being open and transparent with patients and their families about what has gone wrong to ensure we continue to deliver a safe and positive experience of care.”
