A person, not a statistic

The Ockenden Report (2022) recommendations are applicable to specialties beyond maternity. A key recommendation relates to listening to families. In his statement to parliament, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said:

‘The report shows a systemic failure to listen to families affected, many of whom who had been doggedly persistent in raising issues over several years. One mother said that she felt like a “lone voice in the wind”. Bereaved families told the report that they were treated in a way that lacked sensitivity and empathy and appallingly, in some cases the trust blamed these mothers for the trauma that they had been through.’

Javid, 2022

Reflecting with colleagues, we all recall patient safety incidents where listening to families would have improved their experience. McQueen et al (2022) explored ‘good’ patient and family involvement in healthcare adverse event reviews. Nineteen patients and families who had experienced an adverse event during the provision of their care or that of a family member were interviewed, resulting in four themes.