Access to justice
Access to justice
Responsible Business
Report 2025-26
In focusOur partnership with the Birth Trauma Association
This year, Russell-Cooke continued its partnership with the Birth Trauma Association, supporting families affected by birth trauma. Consultant Bernadette McGhie from our clinical negligence team, and Dr Kim Thomas, CEO of the BTA, reflect on the importance of providing accessible legal support, how their collaboration helps families navigate an often overwhelming system, and why they believe this work makes a tangible difference to people’s lives.
Year the Birth Trauma Association was founded
Members supported through the Birth Trauma Association’s peer support community
Hours of legal aid work provided across the firm each year
Members of the BTA’s Facebook group
Q&A
Kim: The Birth Trauma Association was founded in 2004 and became a registered charity in 2007, the first in the world to focus specifically on this issue. Our work primarily supports women who’ve experienced traumatic births, though we also support fathers, as they can be profoundly affected, and NHS support for them is limited.
A key part of what we do is our Facebook group, which has been running since 2008 and now has around 20,000 members offering peer support. Some have described it as life-saving. We also have 15 trained peer supporters, including one father, who provide direct emotional support. We’re piloting a WhatsApp-based service to allow people to seek help anonymously, with the aim of making it a permanent offering.
We collaborate with academics and clinicians on projects to make birth safer, including the GABI Project, which looks at the impact on women’s mental health of giving birth under general anaesthetic, and the Odon Assist project, which explores alternatives to forceps or ventouse deliveries. We also campaign on maternity issues and provide training for health professionals to help them recognise, support, and prevent birth trauma.
Kim: Over the twenty years I’ve been working in this field, awareness of birth trauma has grown enormously. In 2004, most people didn’t believe childbirth could lead to PTSD. Even though PTSD has been recognised since 1980, it took time for people to understand it can result from medical trauma, sexual assault, or childbirth. Today, trauma-specific services and baby-loss support exist, and it’s acknowledged that around 4–5% of women develop PTSD after birth. Still, maternity practices haven’t changed as much as we’d like, and some women are still being traumatised, which is a reflection of ongoing systemic issues.
Bernadette: In recent years, there’s been a much greater acceptance that birth can be traumatising. When I trained as a nurse (which included working in adult general nursing, and later in paediatric nursing), women’s experiences were often dismissed as “baby blues.” Now, there’s more awareness, but the wider maternity system remains concerning. Many units fall below acceptable standards, and midwives face intense pressure with limited resources and poor collaboration and communication across teams. As for women’s partners, they’ve historically been almost invisible in this discussion. In many cases they witness a traumatic birth, are abandoned whilst the focus is understandably on the new baby’s and/or mother’s needs, and are almost never offered mental health support. Unlike birth mothers, partners cannot be financially compensated for the psychological impact which often means that they do not have funds to pay for private therapy. Years later they tell of having flashbacks to being left behind surrounded by the aftermath and detritus of a birth emergency including when there has been massive maternal blood loss.
Kim: For individuals and families affected by birth trauma, access to justice can feel incredibly daunting. We see this every day. So many women come to us – especially in our Facebook group – asking whether they can take action, how to make a complaint, or whether we can recommend a solicitor. One of our biggest worries is that people won’t find the right support or will be directed to someone who doesn’t fully understand birth trauma.
That’s why having Russell-Cooke as a trusted legal partner makes such a difference. It means we can confidently signpost women and families to a firm we know will treat them with empathy, respect, and real expertise. They’ll get a good service, they’ll be listened to, and they won’t be dismissed. It’s also essential to us that the people we partner with have genuine experience in clinical negligence.
Bernadette: Partnerships like this are vital because people who’ve experienced birth trauma need solicitors who truly understand what they’ve been through. The legal process can be stressful, and clients need to feel they can ask questions and be heard. They need to have a solicitor they can feel comfortable with – someone to whom they can say “this is too much,” or “please explain what you’re doing,” without hesitation. This can help them to regain some dignity and control in their life.
People don’t come to us because they want money. Almost without exception, they come wanting to know what happened and wanting to make sure it doesn’t happen to someone else. Partnerships like this ensure they receive support from solicitors who respect that, and who will listen to their concerns and guide them through an incredibly difficult process with compassion and understanding. We examine the full picture, making sure investigations were or are thorough, that the right questions are asked and addressed, providing information and explanation with empathy and clarity throughout the process.
Kim: Women often tell us that simply being listened to – really listened to – has transformed things for them. Every so often, we receive messages such as “you saved my life.” Those moments are incredibly touching. They remind me why this work matters so deeply. It’s easy to underestimate the power of a supportive community, but when someone tells you that your organisation made the difference between despair and hope, you realise the very real-world impact our partnerships and our collective efforts have.
Bernadette: For me, the most powerful moments come when a client who has spent months or even years not being believed finally gets the validation they deserve. When we investigate their case and are able to show, clearly and objectively, that their concerns were justified, you can almost see the weight lift off their shoulders. That realisation is incredibly healing.
In some cases, we can move beyond validation to securing damages, which can make a practical difference in rebuilding their lives. For example, we’ve been able to obtain funding for therapy and that can be transformative. The sooner someone is able to access proper treatment, the sooner they can begin to reclaim some sense of normality. Where there are more substantive injuries, for example for brain injured babies, compensation can fund lifetime therapies, care and equipment for injured babies to enable them to live as independent and full a life as possible.
Kim: This year has been a fantastic first year running the legal clinic with Russell-Cooke, and we’re really excited about building on it. We hope to run more clinics, provide more support with content, and expand the range of services we offer. It’s also been wonderful to collaborate on fundraising events, which are so important for the sustainability of our work.
The relationship has been extremely positive. Our members benefit directly from the advice and guidance offered through the clinic, and at the same time, we hope to introduce more people to Russell-Cooke who might need their expertise. It’s a partnership that truly works for both of us.
Bernadette: The clinic has been an excellent way to connect with clients and raise awareness of maternity safety concerns. Recently, we ran a webinar introducing junior lawyers to issues around pregnancy and birth, and I sat in as a facilitator. It was fascinating to see the next generation of lawyers learning about these challenges given many of them will have little personal knowledge of childbirth themselves although they may have friends or family members with children. This training and our work with BTA will make them more informed as lawyers as well as on a personal level.
Raising awareness of concerns about maternity safety with the purpose of driving change for improvement is so important for everyone and not just those of childing bearing age. This is our future generation. If we can play a role in raising awareness, that’s fantastic, because it helps create a system where women can have safer births in the future. I want every woman to feel confident walking into a maternity unit, relaxed and able to enjoy their pregnancy and birth, without worrying about the safety of the care they’ll receive. Sadly, at the moment, that’s not always the case. Initiatives like this clinic are one way we can start to change that by empowering people to ask questions and to challenge poor practice. Change can only be effected by identifying and calling out failures in care.
Bernadette: This work is vital because it addresses real, personal suffering and helps people access the support they need to recover, whether that’s therapy, treatment, or practical assistance. When families are supported, the benefits ripple outwards; stronger, safer maternity care affects communities and society as a whole.
When we look at the big picture, the stakes are extremely high. If someone is unable to contribute fully to society, must rely on benefits instead of supporting themselves, or cannot care for their family, the impact is felt by everyone. Every one of us is touched by childbirth in some way, not just as parents ourselves but through siblings, partners, nephews or nieces and members of the wider community. Ensuring maternity services are safe isn’t just good for women; it benefits everyone.
Neglecting these problems is not only morally wrong but economically costly. Everyone - not just those of childbearing age - should be campaigning for safer maternity services.
Kim: Birth trauma can be likened to a silent epidemic in that it has a huge, often invisible impact. But with awareness, support, and accountability, change is possible.
Every woman and family affected reminds us why this work matters. By shining a light on these issues, we can help prevent trauma, support recovery, and ensure safer, more compassionate maternity services for everyone. Birth trauma isn’t a marginal problem; it touches all of us, and we have to take it seriously.
What supporting access to justice means to me...
Enabling access to justice means giving those without means or connections a way to have their voices heard, so they can influence crucial decisions about their family, their housing and their wellbeing.
Caroline Brosnan
Senior associate
Supporting access to justice is at the heart of what we do. It ensures that everyone – regardless of their circumstances – has a fair opportunity to understand, access and exercise their legal rights. To me there is nothing more important.
Amy Chapman
Legal director