Nearly £20 Million Paid Out in Birth Injury Claims — What This Really Tells Us About Maternity Care
A recent report in The Forester revealed that
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
has paid out nearly £20 million in birth injury claims since 2020.
That figure alone is staggering
— but it also raises an even deeper question.
What does this tell us about
the state of maternity care in Gloucestershire,
and why are so many families
still suffering avoidable harm?
Behind those numbers are real people
— women, babies and families
whose lives were changed forever.
No amount of compensation can undo the trauma of an avoidable injury
or the loss of trust that follows when a birth doesn’t go as it should.
While individual errors are often highlighted,
what’s rarely discussed is the systemic picture
that allows these tragedies to happen again and again.
The loss of continuity of care
— where women are supported throughout pregnancy and birth by a midwife they know and trust
— is one of the most significant factors.
Research has consistently shown that continuity models reduce preterm birth,
interventions, and perinatal loss,
and improve safety and satisfaction for both mothers and staff.
Yet, despite this,
most women in Gloucestershire
never meet the midwife who attends their birth.
Services have become fragmented,
overstretched, and reactive
— not relational.
When care is delivered by strangers,
important details are missed.
Fear replaces trust.
Communication breaks down.
And that’s where risk multiplies.
What if ….
we stopped pouring millions into compensation
and instead invested those funds into building safer,
smaller, local teams
— with midwives who truly know the women they support?
Safety doesn’t come from more policies or technology;
it comes from relationship-based care
— from time, trust, and continuity.