A BBC report today has brought renewed public attention to the long-standing concerns around maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The article features a family whose traumatic experience dates back to 2009 - well outside what many expect will be the proposed timeframe of the upcoming independent inquiry.

At Switalskis, we have represented families affected by maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals for many years. Many of the concerns raised in the BBC’s reporting echo the experiences our clients have shared with us, including issues that go back far beyond the period currently expected to be examined by the inquiry.

The families story reflects patterns we have heard from many families in Leeds over a number of years.

The issues in Leeds did not begin recently

The BBC’s investigation has spoken to dozens of families who say they experienced poor maternity care, including some whose cases stretch back more than a decade. From delays in escalation to communication failures, lack of listening to women, and traumatic or avoidable births, the concerns echo those we hear regularly from the families we represent.

This is not unique to Leeds - national inquiries at Shrewsbury, East Kent and Nottingham have all shown that maternity failings often span long periods of time and affect far more families than initially recognised.

Families from earlier years must not be excluded from the inquiry

As the government finalises the scope of the Leeds maternity inquiry, there is a growing recognition that limiting the timeframe too narrowly could leave out families whose experiences are crucial to understanding how long these issues have persisted.

For many of our clients in Leeds, their experiences did not happen within the past two or three years. Some go back much further. Their trauma is no less real, and their need for answers is no less urgent.

A Nottingham-style inquiry must be:

• comprehensive,
• historic where necessary, and
• centred around the lived experiences of families, not the convenience of timelines.

Only then can it provide a true picture of what has happened and why.

We support families whose experiences span many years

Switalskis represents a number of Leeds families who have raised concerns about their maternity care, including experiences from many years ago. We know how isolating it can feel to watch an inquiry develop and worry that your own experience might fall outside the scope.

The BBC report reinforces what many families already know, the problems in Leeds did not suddenly appear. They have been present for a long time, and families from earlier years deserve the same opportunity to be heard.

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.

We can support you with:

• guidance on what the inquiry is likely to cover
• whether your experience may fall within the scope
• how to safely and sensitively share your story

Your voice matters. And your experience, whenever it happened, may help shape the truth that this inquiry is being asked to uncover.

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 0800 1380 458 or email help@switalskis.com.