UK Confirms Opt-Out Review of 1,000+ Sussex Maternity Cases

The UK government has confirmed the scope of an independent review into maternity and neonatal services at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, expecting to examine more than 1,000 cases dating back to 2018 on an opt-out basis.

The review, chaired by senior midwife and investigator Donna Ockenden, will automatically include all eligible families affected by stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, severe maternal harm, and neonatal harm from severe brain injuries, unless they choose to opt out. Ockenden will also have authority to consider cases before 2018 and those with incomplete or missing records. Families and Ockenden will develop the full terms of reference in the coming months.

The announcement follows years of campaigning by bereaved and harmed families, including the Truth for Our Babies group, which represents more than 60 affected families in Sussex. The group met Health Secretary Wes Streeting in Brighton last month and welcomed the review as a long-sought step toward accountability. "It gives us hope that families will finally receive the answers they have been seeking," the group said. "We need to know what has failed, why so many families have...