Brickbat: Hard Labor

In England, a major report found that more than 500 mothers and babies died or were seriously harmed at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust because of poor care over 13 years. The inquiry looked at problems at two hospitals and blamed a “toxic” culture with bullying, understaffing, and staff who often ignored women’s concerns or treated them cruelly. Common mistakes included not watching babies closely during labor, missing signs of distress, and not getting doctors involved quickly enough. These failures led to avoidable deaths, stillbirths, brain injuries, and other harm. The report also said leaders knew about the dangers but didn’t fix them.