BMJResearch Highlights

Why Sussex Needs An Inclusive Maternity Review

14 Apr 20264 min read0 viewsJournal Feed

GIST

I am a bereaved mother. I am also a public health academic who has spent 15 years studying health inequalities and working alongside communities that are too often left behind by the health system.

From both perspectives, I am clear: an upcoming review of the preventable deaths of babies at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust needs to include every harmed and bereaved family and proactively reach those least likely to be heard.I am part of a group of bereaved parents from Sussex called Truth for Our Babies. In June 2025, the Department of Health and Social Care promised that the deaths of our nine babies would be examined through an independent review.1 But as more families continue to come forward, it is clear that limiting the review to a specific number of cases risks perpetuating inequalities.

We have identified more than 60 potentially preventable deaths of babies under the...

Clinical Editorial

Context and purpose

The piece asserts that an upcoming independent review of preventable baby deaths at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust should inclusively engage all harmed and bereaved families, with proactive outreach to those least likely to be heard.

Study framing and perspectives

The author identifies as both a bereaved mother and a public health academic with two decades of focus on health inequalities and community engagement.
The commentary emerges from a collective of bereaved parents in Sussex,Truth for Our Babies, urging examination beyond a fixed case count.

Population and reach

A Department of Health and Social Care commitment in June 2025 promised independent review of nine baby deaths.
Ongoing family inflow suggests additional potentially preventable deaths, with the group estimating more than 60 cases under consideration, indicating broader scope than initially outlined.