The trust said it was ‘truly sorry' after the review concluded a failure to act on the cumulative clinical picture in a timely way may have contributed to the deaths of at least four babies.

A trust spokesperson said: ‘We asked for this review after increased safety monitoring within our maternity service, implemented after Dr Bill Kirkup's investigation, enabled us to quickly identify an increase in the number of stillbirths at our trust. We investigated each stillbirth and commissioned this independent review of 11 stillbirths to identify any common themes and learning.

‘We have published the review's report because we understand how important it is to be open when things go wrong.

‘We have shared the findings of the review with our regulators and commissioners, and have asked for additional support in addressing the issues it raises. To that end, we are working with the national Maternity and Neonatal Intensive Support Team to ensure our services meet the standards women and families deserve.

‘We are implementing the review's recommendations in full, including improving continuity of care for women with high-risk pregnancies, maternity triage, enhancing staff training and increasing the amount of translated information and access to interpreters.'