Agenda item

Members of the public who wish to speak at this meeting can attend the meeting in person or ‘virtually’ through an online connection.

To facilitate ‘hybrid’ meetings we are asking that requests to speak or present a petition are submitted by no later than 9am four working days before the meeting i.e., 9am on 31 May 2024.  Requests to speak should be sent to scrutiny@oxfordshire.gov.uk

If you are speaking ‘virtually’, you may submit a written statement of your presentation to ensure that your views are taken into account. A written copy of your statement can be provided no later than 9am 2 working days before the meeting. Written submissions should be no longer than 1 A4 sheet.

The Chair invited the registered speakers to address the Committee.

1.    Statement by Charlotte Bird:

Charlotte Bird, vice-chair of Keep the Horton General, expressed her disappointment over the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's reduction of services at Horton Hospital. Until 2016, the hospital had a thriving obstetric-led maternity unit and Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) in Banbury. A dossier that her organisation was compiling for distribution on June 17, highlighted stark differences in experiences pre and post-2016.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists did not support the positioning of midwife-led units distant from the support of obstetricians, anaesthetists, and paediatricians. The Independent Review Panel (IRP) did not support the Trust's proposals to reconfigure services at Horton Hospital. Despite the IRP's judgment, the Trust removed Horton training accreditation and ended the clinical fellows system. The Trust also ignored applications from 50 Ugandan doctors for vacant obstetric roles. The IRP deemed it unsafe and inhumane for women in labour to be transported from Banbury to Oxford, yet this had been happening since Autumn 2016. She urged the Committee to use their power to remedy this situation.

2.    Statement by Keith Strangwood

Keith Strangwood, Chair of Keep The Horton General, urged the committee to take action on the Horton Hospital to prevent mothers from having to make the difficult journey to the John Radcliffe. He mentioned national figures indicating that 41% of the claims to the NHS were related to maternity, amounting to £2.6 billion paid out between 2022 and 2023 due to NHS faults in maternity. He shared a story of a child who did not receive adequate care at the John Radcliffe and had been in palliative care at home since October 2016. The child was nearly eight years old, and the family’s life was ruined.

The speaker suggested that maternity services in Oxfordshire should be included in the Committee forward work plan. He stressed that the issue was affecting everyone in Oxfordshire. He hoped that everyone would read the dossier being produced by Keep The Horton General and be moved by the stories it contained.

3.    Statement by Kristi McDonald:

Kristi McDonald spoke about her experience with epilepsy. She was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 6 and relied on life-sustaining medication, sodium valproate. She was very concerned to learn that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) policy could mean she may be removed off sodium valproate for another medication if a second consultant disagreed that she should remain upon it. The MHRA policy process meant there was no patient involvement in the decision making, and there was no process for the patient to appeal against the consultant's decision. She was being treated as if she was permanently pre pregnant. That she, along with other girls and women, must be on birth control to access life sustaining medication for a neurological condition breached their human rights. She had raised these issues with the MHRA and the Parliamentary Health Ombudsman. Kristy appreciated the Oxford Epilepsy Service but recognised its limitations due to overstretched resources. She urged the Council to prioritise epilepsy on the agenda.

4.    Statement by Roseanne Edwards:

Roseanne Edwards, a senior multimedia reporter at the Banbury Guardian, spoke about the distressing stories that the Banbury Guardian had published from the Horton General’s dossier of 70 cases spanning 2016 to 2020. The dossier had indicated that the John Radcliffe (JR) was struggling to manage the number of births with its available facilities and staff. This had led to dangerous micro-management of deliveries. It had also highlighted that while some newly qualified midwives were still committed to providing good service, others seemed overworked and were overseeing inhumane treatment. Mothers were being forced into unnatural childbirth, neglected, and emotionally abused.

The personal accounts had included a litany of complaints about over-stretched midwives who were too busy to provide compassionate care. Systematic neglect on the wards was evident, with mothers being induced and then delayed until they became emergencies. The JR had been warned that taking on an additional 1800 births per year would prevent them from providing a safe service, especially with midwives leaving due to the pressures. Despite this, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had refused to consider alternatives because the JR was short-staffed. She urged the Committee to begin discussions about this issue.

5.    Statement by Dr Judy Shakespeare:

Due to a conflict of interest, the Chair vacated the room, and the vice Chair invited Dr Shakespeare to address the Committee.

Dr Shakespeare discussed the changes regarding the prescribing of sodium valproate for epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Having a long-standing interest in perinatal mental health, she emphasised the impact of these changes on epilepsy services in Oxford. She expressed concern that neurologists were forced to prioritise medication changes over patients with higher needs due to resource limitations. The situation represented a tragedy, and she called for increased resources to address health inequalities. She highlighted the lack of funding for necessary work and expressed concern about the MHRA’s policies. She commended Oxfordshire for taking action and hoped it would set an example for the entire country.