A joint BBC News/New Statesman investigation has found significant concerns regarding maternity care at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UH Sussex), with multiple families reporting poor care and preventable deaths.
In 2022, two couples, Beth Cooper and Sophie Hartley, and their partners, met at a golf club in Sussex while attending antenatal classes. Both were expecting sons and had decided on the name Felix. However, their experiences with the trust were marked by tragedy, with both babies dying under the trust's care.
Police and Authority Response
Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced an independent investigation into maternity care at UH Sussex in June, initially focusing on nine cases. The investigation has since been expanded to include 15 families, including the parents of the two babies named Felix.
The trust has acknowledged that it has introduced a new telephone triage service with experienced midwives to improve maternity care. However, some families, including Beth Cooper, are still seeking answers and justice for their losses.
Investigation Findings
An analysis of clinical negligence payments shows that the trust paid out £103.8m for maternity errors between 2021-2025, including £34.3m in 2024/25, the highest amount in England that year.
Katie Fowler, who lost her daughter Abigail in 2022 due to poor care, says, "The trust does a good job of persuading people that nothing could have been done." Fowler helps coordinate Truth for Our Babies, a group set up by bereaved parents concerned about standards at UH Sussex.
Response from Authorities
Dr. Andy Heeps, chief executive of UH Sussex, stated, "I want to say directly that we did not always get this right. As chief executive, I take responsibility for that, and I am deeply sorry for the pain and distress that you experienced."
The trust has hired 40 more midwives and is now "fully recruited," according to Heeps. He added that the trust recognizes that there will always be more to do to improve and hopes the maternity investigation will "help answer these families' questions and drive further improvements."
