A West Yorkshire mother whose baby was stillborn after a series of missed opportunities pre-birth at Leeds General Infirmary has joined a group of families in delivering a letter to 10 Downing Street urging the Prime Minister to appoint the families’ choice of Chair to an inquiry into maternity care at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Amarjit Kaur Matharoo and her husband Mandip Singh Matharoo, one of several families being supported by maternity specialists from Switalskis’ expert medical negligence team, joined Leeds MPs and other families in London on February 11. Amarjit and other families have all suffered preventable losses of their babies at the Trust’s two maternity units in the city – St James’s University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary.

In October, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced an independent inquiry into maternity services in Leeds amid concerns that the deaths of 56 babies and two mothers during a five year period at the Trust’s two hospitals could have been avoided.

But the families say they have now lost trust in the Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the inquiry, after their repeated calls for senior midwife Donna Ockenden – who is leading a separate inquiry of maternity care at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust – to be appointed as the Chair of the Leeds inquiry were ignored.

‘A complete betrayal of their trust’: a letter to the PM

The letter to the Prime Minister was delivered to No 10 by the families and a number of Leeds MPs, including Fabian Hamilton and Richard Burgon, who all urged Sir Keir Starmer to overrule his Health Secretary and appoint Ms Ockenden as Chair to the inquiry into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mr Streeting had told families in a meeting last year that he had concerns about Ms Ockenden’s capacity to Chair a second inquiry but would speak to her about it. However, the families and the MPs say he then announced that she would not be chairing the inquiry without having had that conversation with Ms Ockenden.

The letter, signed by six Leeds MPs and Michelle Welsh, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maternity Services, criticises Mr Streeting for ‘broken promises’, says the families have ‘lost faith and confidence’ in Mr Streeting’s handling of the Inquiry and urges the prime Minister to intervene personally to appoint Ms Ockenden as the inquiry Chair.

‘Justice for Asees’: Amarjit’s view

Amarjit was in Downing Street with her husband Mandip when the letter was delivered to No 10. They have been campaigning for improvements in maternity care at Leeds since the tragic death of their daughter, Asees, who was stillborn in January 2024.

She said: “There is a public perception that the Government are listening to families but we don’t feel like we’re being listened to at all.

“We were promised that the Health Secretary would have a conversation with Donna Ockenden in October. He said he would think about it before he announced anything but then he announced she wouldn’t be chairing the inquiry without speaking to her.

“Our trust in this inquiry and the department has been damaged by this and this letter seems like the only step we can take to ensure that we are listened to and that the Health Secretary and the department are held accountable.”

“We‘ve made it clear that the Leeds inquiry needs Donna Ockenden. We can't have a chair who lacks experience in this area. We need justice for Asees and for all those babies harmed or are not here today."

Switalskis’ expert medical negligence team, which is supporting a number of families who have experienced harm and loss while under the care of the maternity team at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital, known locally as Jimmy’s.

Claire Garrity , Associate Specialist Litigator in our medical negligence team , added: “It is concerning to hear that families feel they are not being listened to and we hope that their views are factored into any decisions concerning the Chair of this important inquiry.

“Our experience in supporting families in the inquiry into maternity care in Nottingham has shown that trust in the inquiry and its Chair – which in Nottingham’s case is Ms Ockenden – is vital.

“The families we are supporting, and all families affected by the failures in care in Leeds, deserve the very best Chair possible for an inquiry. This is vital in establishing why the care failed for so many people and it is vital that the families have faith and trust in the Chair of this inquiry.

“Donna Ockenden has a proven track record and the families believe she is the right Chair to ensure prompt, effective improvements so that the devastating losses they have experienced cannot happen again in the future.”

A serious injury investigation into Asees’ tragic death

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust produced a report into Amarjit’s care and Asees’ tragic death in April 2024, following a review that identified care issues which they considered may have made a difference to the outcome for Asees.

A further review in June 2024 identified care issues which they considered may have made a difference to the outcome for Amarjit.

The Trust has since decided to carry out a Serious Incident Investigation into Amarjit’s care and the couple’s loss of baby Asees.

Maternity services at both of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s sites in the city were downgraded to a rating of ‘inadequate’ in June by the Care Quality Commission, the healthcare regulator.

Contact our specialist maternity negligence team in Leeds

Whether your experience happened last year or more than a decade ago, you are not excluded from seeking advice or understanding how the inquiry may apply to you.

If you would like to speak confidentially to a member of our team, we are here to help.

Our specialist medical negligence team has extensive experience in birth injury claims . We can help you understand what happened, navigate investigations, and explore whether you may have a claim.

Get in touch with our specialist team  to discuss your experience in confidence.  Call us on 0808 258 8041 or email help@switalskis.com.