‘Newborns could be diverted from care proceedings if more time is given to pre-birth assessments where there are safeguarding concerns, according to a review published today.’
Law Society's Gazette, 11th December 2019
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘More than 200 new families have contacted an inquiry into mother and baby deaths at a hospital trust in Shropshire.’
BBC News, 26th November 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Hundreds of families whose babies died or have been left with brain damage after maternity care treatment at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust are now being informed they are part of a major investigation into the largest scandal of its type ever to hit the NHS, following a report by The Independent.’
The Independent, 21st November 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Doctors who saw but did not report babies and mothers receiving poor care during the NHS’s worst maternity scandal could be suspended or struck off, the General Medical Council has warned. The medical profession’s regulator has asked NHS bosses for details of any doctor they believe may have ignored their professional duty to raise the alarm about threats to patient safety at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS hospital trust (SaTH).’
The Guardian, 20th November 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The Morecambe Bay Investigation (the Kirkup Report) was an inquiry into the deaths of mothers and babies at Furness General Hospital midwifery unit between 2004 and 2012. It found ten stillbirths, six neonatal deaths, and three maternal deaths were part of a pattern of failures in care at every level within the unit. There was an inability to confront the endemic poor practice that linked the incidents, and a defensive approach amongst the midwifery team. This pattern of failures was not identified or acted on for several years.’
2 Hare Court, 15th November 2019
Source: www.2harecourt.com
‘Judicial review proceedings have been launched on behalf of Maternity Action, a leading maternity rights charity, challenging the Secretary of State for Health’s NHS Charging Regime. The disproportionate effect of charging is most stark amongst destitute pregnant women, new mothers, survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and Female Genital Mutilation and destitute migrant families supported by local authorities, who are overwhelmingly women.’
Garden Court Chambers, 15th October 2019
Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
‘Shamima Begum, the former east London schoolgirl who fled to Syria and joined Islamic State, is facing an “extreme scenario” in which she will be unable to fight the case against her, a hearing has been told.’
The Guardian, 24th October 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A newborn baby recently died in prison after a woman gave birth alone in her cell at night.’
Rights Info, 16th October 2019
Source: rightsinfo.org
‘The death of a newborn baby whose mother gave birth alone at Britain’s largest women’s prison is the subject of 10 investigations, a justice minister has told the Commons.’
BBC News, October 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A person who undergoes the physical and biological process of carrying a pregnancy and giving birth, irrespective of gender? This was the ruling of the Rt. Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane P, President of the Family Division, on 25th September in TT, R(on the application of) v The Registrar General for England and Wales [2019] EWHC 2384 (Fam) . He decided that the Claimant, (known as “TT”), who was legally recognised as male at the time of giving birth to his child, (“YY”), is correctly registered as “mother” on YY’s birth certificate.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 30th September 2019
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Migrant women who have miscarriages are being wrongly charged £7,000 for antenatal care despite never going into labour, doctors and campaigners have warned. Rules specify overseas women who are expecting a baby must be charged for NHS care – with charges starting at around £7,000 but potentially doubling if there are complications with the pregnancy.’
The Independent, 15th September 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Regardless of whether one attributes this famous quote to Voltaire or Spider-Man, the sentiment is the same. Power and responsibility should be in equilibrium. More power than responsibility leads to decision-making with little concern for the consequences and more responsibility than power leads to excessive caution. This article argues that there is now a disequilibrium in the NHS, which is the root cause for defensive medical practice and the growing NHS litigation bill.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st August 2019
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Hospital notes show that a mother shouldn’t receive £200,000 in damages from the NHS for having child with Down’s Syndrome because she declined to have him tested before he was born, a court heard.’
Daily Telegraph, 8th July 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Legislation associated with the naming of children is a recurring theme; our first post was in 2014 and most recently, last September. In contrast to considerations of what names are, and are not, acceptable in law, the judgment Re T (A child) [2019] EWHC 1572 (Fam) concerned a child who had been given a name and surname, but whose father had “strenuously resisted” its formal registration, “notwithstanding that a failure to do so is, in a variety of practical ways, likely to serve as an impediment to the promotion of T’s welfare as well as to have an adverse impact on F’s own legal status”.’
Law & Religion UK, 8th July 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘The Court of Appeal has recognised the cash flow pressures of funding complex litigation in rejecting an application to appeal a ruling granting a law firm an interim costs payment.’
Litigation Futures, 3rd July 2019
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The number of cases uncovered by a maternity review at hospitals in Shropshire has more than doubled.’
BBC News, 24th June 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A man who refused to register his son’s birth because he says he does not want him to be controlled by the state has lost a high court case.’
The Guardian, 23rd June 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against a claims management company whose advertising implied that birth injuries were only caused by medical negligence.’
Litigation Futures, 1st May 2019
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
© Inner Temple Library 2025