Trust under maternity care scrutiny to review stillbirths

Model picture. Getty/FatCamera

By Erin Dean

A trust under the spotlight over the quality of maternity care has announced a review of all stillbirths last year.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust said it will seek to identify themes and opportunities for learning through the investigation which will include experts from NHS England, local trusts and the local maternity and neonatal system.

It follows a Care Quality Commission report in February, which found some issues related to care that did not appear to have been highlighted in the trust's own data.

The health watchdog found there had been 19 stillbirths and late fetal losses between March and August 2025.

It noted that hospital data had indicated none of these losses were associated with issues with care that were likely to have made a difference to the outcomes.

But the investigators flagged that the reviews included concerns such as the detection of growth restrictions, which were not then followed up with serial scans, an indication for gestational diabetes testing that was not then offered, neonatal resuscitation not carried out appropriately and in line with guidelines and an infant’s temperature not being maintained on transfer to the neonatal unit.