A national investigation into NHS maternity services in England has been launched by health and social care secretary Wes Streeting.
The rapid investigation aims to provide truth and accountability for all families impacted by poor maternity care, as well as drive improvements across hospitals.
“We are determined to transform services so that every family receives safe, personalised and dignified care”
Kate Brintworth
It comes after a series of meetings were held between Mr Streeting and bereaved families who had been affected by failures in maternity care.
The investigation is set to look at up to 10 of the worst performing services across the country, to give affected families answers as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, it will also undertake a system-wide look at maternity and neonatal care, bringing together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of actions.
The review will be co-produced with clinicians, experts and parents and will begin work this summer to report back by December 2025.
A National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has also been established, to be chaired by Mr Streeting and made up of a panel of experts and bereaved families, which will drive improvements across the country.
Mr Streeting said he had met bereaved families over the last year “who have lost babies or suffered serious harm”.
He said: “What they have experienced is devastating – deeply painful stories of trauma, loss and a lack of basic compassion – caused by failures in NHS maternity care that should never have happened.
“Their bravery in speaking out has made it clear: we must act – and we must act now.
“I know nobody wants better for women and babies than the thousands of NHS midwives, obstetricians, maternity and neonatal staff, and that the vast majority of births are safe and without incident, but it’s clear something is going wrong.
“That’s why I’ve ordered a rapid national investigation to make sure these families get the truth and the accountability they deserve, and ensure no parent or baby is ever let down again.
“I want staff to come with us on this, to improve things for everyone.”
The government said it had inherited a situation where issues in maternity and neonatal care had been going on for some time.
It noted that a series of independent reviews into local trusts had uncovered failings, including women not being listened to, concerns over safety and issues with leadership and culture.
Just last week, the Care Quality Commission downgraded maternity services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ due to patient safety concerns.
The hospital was the latest at the centre of a growing national maternity scandal, which has also uncovered failings in Nottingham, Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury and Telford and East Kent.
One area that the investigation will focus on will be the inequalities faced by women from Black, Asian and deprived backgrounds, as well as “a lack of compassionate care”.
Kate Brintworth
Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for NHS England, said: “Through this rapid investigation and the immediate actions announced today, we are determined to transform services so that every family receives safe, personalised and dignified care at one of the most significant and vulnerable times in their lives.
“We know we have significant issues to address concerning safety and culture within maternity and neonatal services, and Black and Asian women and those in deprived areas still face worse outcomes, so we must redouble our efforts to improve care for all.”
Responding to the announcement, the Royal College of Midwives chief executive, Gill Walton, said “systemic failings” had let down families and hardworking staff.
“Everyone involved in maternity services – the midwifery community, obstetricians, anaesthetists, sonographers and, of course, the women and families in their care – knows that maternity services are at, or even beyond, breaking point,” she said.
Gill Walton
“This renewed focus and commitment by the health secretary to deliver change is welcome and we will do everything we can to support him in doing so.”
Also responding, Nursing and Midwifery Council interim chief executive and registrar, Paul Rees, said: “Every woman, baby and family has the right to expect safe and effective maternity care, wherever they are.
“We welcome this rapid investigation and look forward to working with the independent taskforce and the Department of Health and Social Care to drive forward urgent improvements and tackle the scourge of health inequalities.”
