West Mercia Police is looking into 701 possible cases of poor maternity care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital between 2003 and 2019, the force has said.
The police probe comes following a damning independent inquiry, which reported last week that nearly 300 babies died or suffered brain injury due to mistakes in care.
In an update on Wednesday, West Mercia Police said it originally identified 823 cases but 122 have been examined and they did not find evidence to take the cases further. The remaining 701 cases are still part of the police’s active investigations.
Detective chief superintendent Damian Barratt said: “The affected families have been informed of this decision and have been offered continued support from our dedicated family liaison team.
“The scope of a police investigation differs from that of an independent review and there are parameters and thresholds around what can, and cannot, be included in a criminal investigation. Therefore, as we continue to the review cases, the final number included in our investigation will differ and is likely to be significantly less than this 701.
“We have been, and remain, committed to ensuring that every possible potential case is fully reviewed, and the families involved fully informed as our investigation progresses. They deserve nothing less.
“Our investigation remains active with a focused and dedicated team and we make a promise to the families, to the Telford and Shrewsbury communities and to the wider public that we will keep you informed as the investigation progresses.”
According to a report in The Sunday Times, police are also investigating the deaths of two babies last year.
The police’s update comes after the Ockenden independent inquiry published its final report last week, revealing poor care over 40 years had led to the avoidable deaths of 200 babies. This included 131 stillbirths and 70 neonatal deaths, 29 cases of severe brain damage, 65 cases of cerebal palsy and the deaths of nine women.
The report’s authors also warned problems with maternity care continued at the trust and staff were still afraid to speak out.
