Tom Hender, whose son Aubrey was stillborn at City Hospital in 2022, has written to West Midlands MPs demanding urgent action against Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBH). The trust was one of 14 featured in Baroness Amos's final report of the Independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, which painted a 'deeply concerning' picture of discrimination and safety issues.
Damning Review Findings
The Amos report found that SWBH's neonatal mortality rate exceeded comparable trusts by five per cent. Families and staff experienced discrimination, and the trust has been consistently the worst performing among units with over 4,000 births on MBRRACE (perinatal mortality) figures over its eight-year history.
Tom and his wife Ewa believe their concerns were not listened to during a perinatal mortality review in 2022. After four years, they secured a repeat review in April 2026, which acknowledged some of their questions regarding care.
Father's Plea to MPs
In his letter, Tom urged MPs not to wait for further harm: 'Please, do not wait for harm to be done to your constituents before taking action on this issue – please, please demand action now – while further harm can be avoided, and lives saved.' He added that the trust 'does not appear capable of addressing the situation, and there is a real prospect of further avoidable harm, including deaths, occurring today.'
Tom stressed that the trust cannot wait six months for the Secretary of State's Taskforce to formulate a plan, as the Amos review highlighted 'a current and ongoing concern for the safety of your most vulnerable constituents.'
Trust Response and Actions
Trust chief executive Diane Wake issued an open letter apologising to families: 'We are sorry to the women, babies and families whose experiences of our maternity and neonatal services did not meet the standards they have the right to expect.' She outlined changes including a new Director of Midwifery and Head of Midwifery, hiring 25 additional midwives, and a zero tolerance approach to racism and discrimination.
Wake acknowledged that 'buildings alone do not change culture' and that 'deeper cultural and organisational issues must be addressed.' The trust has also moved to a new hospital to improve the physical environment.
Call for Immediate Intervention
Tom remains unconvinced, stating: 'I have no doubt that the Trust will announce various actions that it is taking to address the findings. However I ask you to remember that this maternity unit was already trying to turn itself around.' He believes the trust is not capable of addressing the situation without external intervention.
