National review into maternity and neonatal services
We are committed to doing everything we can to help in the effort to improve maternity care across the country and welcome the opportunity to take part in a national review.
How to share your feedback
A dedicated contact centre has been set up by the national team so women and families can share their experiences of maternity and neonatal care which will help inform the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s findings and recommendations. If you would like to discuss your questions or concerns with a member of the UHSussex maternity or neonatal team, please let us know and we can arrange this.
Scope of external UHSussex maternity services review announced
Today, (13 May, 2026) the Secretary of State confirmed that the external review of our maternity services chaired by Donna Ockenden would be a wide ranging process which is expected to assess the cases of more than 1,000 families, from 2018 onwards.
The response of our Chief Executive Officer Dr Andy Heeps to this news is below.
“Our thoughts remain first and foremost with the families whose babies have died or who have suffered harm when receiving care in our hospitals.
“We welcome Donna Ockenden’s review and remain committed to fully supporting the process so families can get the answers they need, and we take any possible opportunity to learn and improve.
“Our overriding priority is always to provide the safest possible care for mothers and babies – that is why our maternity teams have implemented many positive changes in recent years, and why we will work with the review team to find new ways of making our services better, and safer, still.”
External review of UHSussex maternity services announced
On 15 April 2026, the Secretary of State confirmed that there will be an external review of maternity services at our Trust, chaired by Donna Ockenden.
The response of our Chief Executive Officer Dr Andy Heeps to this news at the time is below.
“The loss of a baby is the worst thing that a parent can imagine, let alone experience. For any family who has been through such a trauma, I am deeply sorry.
“We welcome today’s announcement that a Chair has been appointed to lead the independent review into Sussex maternity services. We will work openly and transparently with the review team, and with families who have used our services, because we believe external scrutiny can help drive improvement. We hope this announcement will provide some reassurance to families, and we will do everything we can to support the review and help families get the answers they seek.
“I also want to reassure families in Sussex about our maternity services today. We know that trust has to be earned through the care we provide and the action we take. While we fully accept that we have not always got everything right, we have made important changes in recent years to strengthen the safety and quality of the care we provide to people now. That work never ends, and our staff remain deeply committed to providing safe, compassionate care to every woman, baby and family who uses our services.
“We know there is more to do, and we will keep working with openness, humility and determination to deliver the safest and best care possible.”
What comes next
At this stage, there are no further updates about the review. We will provide future updates using our regular communications channels, when we know more. We will be cooperating fully with the Ockenden team. Although our Trust is unable to answer specific questions about the external review at this early stage, if you would like to discuss any individual questions or concerns you may have with a member of the UHSussex maternity or neonatal team, please let us know and we can arrange this.
In the meantime, if anyone is worried about any aspect of their care, please discuss your concerns with your midwifery team in the first instance, and they will help if they possibly can. At the moment, we are unable to advise people regarding the specifics of the external review but we will share more information as soon as it becomes available to us.