A report into a crisis-hit hospital trust's maternity scandal has been delayed by the Queen's death.

Bereaved families have spoken of their "angst" as they face an uncertain wait for answers in the Kirkup Report.

The independent probe, headed up by Dr Bill Kirkup, has spoken to people who have lost a baby, and mothers who have come to harm at the QEQM in Margate and William Harvey in Ashford.

It was due to publish its report on Wednesday, September 21. But this has been delayed by the death of Queen Elizabeth II and subsequent ascension of King Charles III.

The day it was supposed to be published has instead been put aside for MPs to swear allegiance to the new monarch.

An email to families involved in the investigation says "this means that we can no longer have the Report published in Parliament and that Parliament will not focus on the Report and highlight what it says, nor could there be any response from the Government in Parliament that day".

It adds: “As a result, I am sorry to inform you that we are not able to proceed with the disclosure of the report and its publication on [that day].

“Everyone, including NHS England and the Department of Health & Social Care, has felt that it would be right to follow through on the plans which we had made and which had been notified to families. The reason for the change of date is simply that Parliament will no longer be conducting business on September 21."

Derek Richford, grandfather to baby Harry Richford – whose death and subsequent high profile inquest sparked the investigation – said the delay "will cause angst among all families" affected by the scandal.

"The new date needs to be published today," he added.

Helen Gittos, who lost her daughter Harriet at the QEQM in 2014, said that she and her family were "exhuasted" by the news.

"We have spent so long trying to prepare for next week, to get ourselves as mentally ready as possible, and to have it delayed at this late stage is exhausting," she added.

The note to families says the revised date will be in October, after MPs return to the Commons and resume normal business.

However, Mrs Gittos – who has since moved from Canterbury to Oxford, where she is an associate professor of Early Medieval History – fears that deadline could be missed if a concrete date is not found soon.

"I wonder if they have said that in the hope that saying it will make it more likely to happen, but if we don't get a definite date soon then I worry with all of the other

It adds: "We know that this postponement will be unwelcome to you, not least because of the patience you have already shown during the period of the Investigation.

"With that very much in mind, we are looking for a new date as soon as possible after Parliament returns from the break required for the party conferences. The revised date will be in October, after the return of Parliament and the resumption of normal Parliamentary business.

"We don’t underestimate the impact that postponing the report at such a late stage (a week before expected publication) will have on all the families involved in the investigation.

"We are so sorry if this news causes additional emotional distress at an already difficult time for you and your family.”

East Kent Hospitals was fined £733,000 last year for the unsafe care and treatment of baby Harry that resulted in his tragic death, after a criminal case was brought by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

During the hearing, the CQC highlighted a 2016 report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists which found significant problems across the QEQM and the William Harvey.

Issues highlighted were consultants not carrying out ward rounds, attending out-of-hours calls when requested or completing mandatory training, but the CQC says improvements did not happen.

Numerous other cases of maternity incidents have since been revealed.

In 2020, the hospital trust's board admitted the number of potentially avoidable baby deaths could be as many as 15 in seven years.

Dr Kirkup investigated the maternity failings at Morecambe Bay in 2015. He is being supported by Ken Sutton and Ann Ridley, who established the groundbreaking Hillsborough Independent Panel which uncovered the truth about the football ground disaster.

Interviews with those responsible for providing and regulating maternity services – including midwives and dating back to 2009 when EKH became a foundation trust – began to take place in January.