Share Your Story: Be Heard In The National Investigation

You may have seen the news that Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) is one of 14 NHS Trusts included in the new National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, led by Baroness Amos.

The aim of this independent review is to make national recommendations that improve maternity and neonatal care for every family.

We welcome OUH’s inclusion in the review.

We’re here to listen to families — whether your experience of care was positive, traumatic, or somewhere in between. Every story matters, and our role in this investigation is to advocate for you with OUH senior leadership and external investigators.

We also understand that many families may feel nervous or anxious about what this means. What will happen next? How can you be involved?

Here are some key things to know.

OUH wrote a letter to all families

OUH wrote a letter to all families who have used their maternity and neonatal services that can be read here.

In this letter they expressed "OUH, we strive to provide care that is safe, high-quality, and respectful. We recognise that some families have not experienced the standard of care we aim to deliver, for which we are truly sorry."

They’ve said they will:

• Engage openly and transparently with the investigation team.

• Continue to make maternity and neonatal safety their top priority.

• Learn from the past while investing in safer and more supportive care for families.

They also highlighted some changes already made in recent years:

• £3 million invested to improve birthing environments at the John Radcliffe Delivery Suite and Horton MLU, and to recruit more midwives.

• Upgraded facilities so birth partners can visit 24/7.

• A focus on listening better to families and involving them in shaping services.

• New technologies and innovation as part of their Perinatal Improvement Programme.

What you can do now

If you have concerns about your care right now, OUH encourages you to speak first with your midwife or consultant. This way, you can get immediate support and they can help ensure you receive safe, high-quality care.

If you’ve had a traumatic or unsatisfactory experience and haven’t yet raised it, you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at pals@ouh.nhs.uk. They can support you and help make sure your concerns are formally addressed.

If your experience was positive — or included both good and difficult parts — OUH would like to hear from you as well. You can email maternityfeedback@ouh.nhs.uk so they can learn what worked well and help create more positive experiences for other families. It’s especially important you write in, as families with positive experiences sometimes don’t realise their voices are welcome too. To build a true picture of care, OUH and the investigators need to hear from every family, so all experiences are represented.

How we can support you

We are here to listen and advocate for you — whether your experience of care was positive, traumatic, or somewhere in between. Your voice matters in our community and in the national review.

Whether you’re currently pregnant, recently gave birth, or have used OUH’s maternity and neonatal services in the past, we'd love to hear your experience.

Share your story by emailing: experience@oxfordshirebirthingcommunity.com

Together, we can create a future where maternity and neonatal care is safer, more respectful, and more compassionate for every family.