Hospital trust faces six separate inquiries over 'avoidable' baby deaths

The trust runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal in Telford Credit: ITV News Central

There are now six independent inquiries into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, following the 'avoidable' deaths of a number of babies, it has emerged.

Patient safety watchdog NHS Improvement is one of five organisations investigating what is reportedly the deaths of at least 15 babies and three mothers.

A spokesman told ITV News Central:

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has also confirmed it is investigating a "number" of referrals, while the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is leading a different review into the trust's learning from the deaths.

Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group is running two separate inquiries, including one examining the work of the trust's five midwife-led units.

The trust board itself is also reviewing the safety and quality of the maternity unit over the past 10 years, with the results expected to be published by the end of June.

In a statement, chief executive Simon Wright said he hoped the reviews would help the trust improve in future.

It comes after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ordered an inquiry in April into the way the series of deaths were investigated, following the tragic loss of Kate Stanton Davies, who died at the trust on the day she was born.

Her parents said the trust's apology was "too little, too late".