Gloucestershire's six MPs have issued a statement following an upsetting episode of BBC's Panorama last night (January 29).

The episode focused on maternity services at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Siobhan Baillie MP for Stroud, Alex Chalk MP for Cheltenham, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP for the Cotswolds, Richard Graham MP for Gloucester, Mark Harper MP for the Forest of Dean and Laurence Robertson MP for Tewkesbury, wrote: "We all share concerns about the incidents in the Panorama documentary that included a focus on maternity services in Gloucestershire.

"The programme highlighted the deaths in particular of two children, Margot and Jasper, and separately one mother, Rana, in the maternity ward of the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, with critical comments by staff about management in particular.

"The incidents have of course been investigated by Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, while the Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust rating for maternity services was downgraded to 'inadequate' in 2022.

"We know that the Trust, recently under new leadership, is focused on implementing all the recommendations in the Care Quality Commission report and, where necessary, making changes to both personnel and systems.

"Our understanding is that good progress is being made, and the Trust hopes to come out of its current rating for maternity services as soon as possible.

"That has to be an urgent goal for the Trust, and we give our full support to this mission, so that expectant mothers all over the county can have full confidence in the experience, care and treatment that they will receive in the GRH.

"Whilst that has been the case for many mothers, sadly the deaths, the reviews and this programme have highlighted issues that needed improvement. We have had meetings with the Trust on this both in the past and last week and will continue to work with the Trust on ensuring that our maternity services are all they should be.

"Meanwhile please do contact whichever of us is your MP if you have any specific queries."

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