Families affected by Leeds maternity services issues to meet Health Secretary Yvette Cooper

Families affected by issues in maternity and neonatal care in Leeds are set to meet Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to share their experiences and concerns first-hand.

The meeting, taking place in the city on 7 October, will bring together families who have spent years campaigning for answers, accountability and improvements following concerns about services provided by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

It will give the recently appointed Health Secretary an opportunity to hear directly about the impact on families and the changes they believe are needed to improve safety for mums and babies.

Meeting comes after Leeds Ockenden review terms of reference agreed

The meeting comes shortly after the terms of reference were published for the independent review into maternity and neonatal services at the Trust.

Chaired by senior midwife Donna Ockenden, the review could involve up to 3,000 cases and will consider maternity and neonatal care provided to women, babies and families, including cases involving severe harm or death.

The review will cover care provided between 2011 and 31 March, 2028, and will not just be restricted to families in Leeds but will cover the Hospital Trust’s wider catchment area. Its terms of reference were developed with the close involvement of affected families.

Medical negligence lawyers supporting more than 50 families concerned about maternity care in Leeds  

Medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell represent more than 50 families in claims arising from maternity and neonatal care provided in Leeds, including members of the Leeds Hospitals Maternity Family Support Group.

Those Irwin Mitchell represents include parents who have lost a baby, children who suffered serious injuries during birth resulting in lifelong disabilities, mums seriously injured during childbirth and families affected by a maternal death.

Maternity campaigner Fiona Winser-Ramm due to attend meeting

Among those due to meet the Health Secretary - who is also the MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley - is campaigner Fiona Winser-Ramm, whose daughter Aliona died 27 minutes after she was born at Leeds General Infirmary on New Year’s Day 2020.

An inquest concluded that Aliona died following neglect and what the coroner described as “a number of gross failures of the most basic nature”. In a legal claim brought by Irwin Mitchell, the Hospital Trust admitted that the care provided was negligent and that this resulted in Aliona’s death.  

Fiona said: 

“We’ve fought for years to be heard and to ensure lessons are learned, and we will continue campaigning for change in Leeds.

 

“A change of Health Secretary cannot be allowed to take the focus away from families or slow the momentum we have worked so hard to build. We need the Government to remain fully committed to uncovering the truth, and helping to ensure meaningful change is delivered.

 

“It’s vital the new Health Secretary hears directly from families so she can fully get to grips with the reality of what has happened in Leeds and why so many people have had to fight for so long.

 

“Nothing can bring Aliona back, but we will continue to be her voice. We owe it to her, and to every family affected, to keep pushing until we see the changes needed to make maternity care safer for mums and babies.”

Medical negligence lawyer's expert view

Katie Warner, a specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing affected families, said: 

“The concerns surrounding maternity and neonatal care in Leeds are well documented. However, behind every report, review and statistic is a family living with the consequences of what happened.

 

“It is welcome that the Government appears to be continuing to take this matter seriously, but maintaining that commitment will be essential. This meeting is an important opportunity for the Health Secretary to hear first-hand accounts, understand the scale and human impact of the concerns raised and understand what needs to change in Leeds.

 

“The publication of the terms of reference in the Ockenden review is also an important milestone. It provides families with greater clarity about the scope and purpose of the review, while their close involvement in developing the terms underlines why they must continue to be listened to throughout the process.

 

"The review must ultimately be judged by whether it provides families with the answers they have waited so long for and delivers meaningful, lasting improvements. Families have worked incredibly hard to get to this point and we'll continue supporting them and helping to ensure their voices remain at the heart of the process."

Leeds maternity and neonatal services review background

The Government announced the independent review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in October 2025.

The Ockenden review’s terms of reference have been published and set out how cases will be examined. The inquiry will examine stillbirths, maternal deaths, including deaths by suicide, and some babies admitted to neonatal care.

It will also consider governance and leadership at the Trust, establish what regulators knew about the issues and assess whether their response was sufficient. How concerns raised by women, families and members of staff were handled will also be examined.

As well as identifying any failings, the review aims to provide clear answers to affected families. Those whose cases are examined are expected to receive personalised feedback following publication of the final report.