Victims of NHS maternity failings in England ‘received unacceptable care’ | NHS

Victims of NHS maternity care failures received “unacceptable care”, leading to “tragic consequences”, the head of an inquiry into maternity care in England has said.

Changes within services have been too slow despite being necessary and urgent, according to a report by Valérie Amos, who heads the National Maternity and Neonatal Survey (NMNI).

The paper shares its first impressions after visiting seven trusts, speaking to families and meeting NHS staff.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Tuesday, Lady Amos said: “Given that this harm continues to be caused, given that babies continue to die, given that this is happening across the country… are there things we should be doing to standardize the level of care across different trusts? Yes.”

The report shows the NHS recorded 748 recommendations relating to maternity and newborn care over the last decade. Amos called it “staggering.”

She wrote: “I expected to hear from families about how disappointed they had been by the care they received in maternity wards and neonatal units across the country, but nothing prepared me for the scale of the unacceptable care that women and families received and continue to receive, the tragic consequences for their babies and the impact on their mental, physical and emotional well-being.

She continued: “This naturally raises an important question: with so many extensive and wide-ranging reviews already carried out, why are we in England still struggling to provide safe and reliable maternity and newborn care across the country?

The report highlights a number of issues that Amos said he “heard about regularly.” These include women not being listened to, not receiving appropriate information to make informed choices about their care, and discrimination against women of color, working-class women, young parents, and women with mental health issues.

The investigation also reported cases of women who lost their babies and were placed on wards with newborns, and cases where concerns about reduced fetal movement were ignored.

There were reports of a lack of empathy from clinical teams when things went wrong, leading women to “feel blamed and guilty”, the report said.

Amos thanked the families, some of whom have criticized the investigation and called for a statutory public inquiry and “constructive and honest feedback” into the investigation.

She said: “I don’t understand why change has been so slow. It is clear from what I have already seen that change is not only possible but also necessary, and it is urgent.”

The NMNI will focus on 12 NHS trusts and its findings are expected to be published in 2026. Amos said she was fully confident it would complete the investigation on time and result in recommendations for “fundamental improvement”.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who ordered the investigation in June, said Amos’ update “demonstrates that too many families have been abandoned, with devastating consequences.”

He said: “The bereaved and injured families have shown extraordinary courage in coming forward to share their experiences. What they have described is deeply distressing, and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for them to relive these moments.

“I know that NHS staff are dedicated professionals who want the best for mothers and babies, and that the vast majority of births are safe, but the systemic failures causing preventable tragedies cannot be ignored. »

Anne Kavanagh, medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who represents hundreds of families across the country affected by failures in maternity care, said: “High-profile maternity scandals spanning decades, from Morecambe Bay to the failures of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals and the East Kent Hospital Trust, have all highlighted widespread and deep-rooted problems nationally.

“Today’s announcement by Baroness Amos that almost 750 recommendations relating to maternity and newborn care have been made, many in the last decade, is truly staggering.

Streeting is establishing a national maternity and neonatal working group in the new year, which he will chair. He said: “Injured and bereaved families will remain at the heart of the investigation and response, to ensure no one has to suffer like this again. Because every preventable tragedy is one tragedy too many.”

Duncan Burton, England’s chief nursing officer, said: “Baroness Amos’ independent inquiry is a crucial step in driving meaningful change in maternity and newborn care and we welcome her thoughts and initial impressions.

“While we have dedicated teams working across the country to improve services, we need to do more to ensure every woman and baby receives the safe and compassionate care they deserve. We will continue to work with our NHS colleagues to resolve the issues raised.

“I want to reassure women and families that staff continue to work hard to provide the best possible care and want to do everything they can to support them. We encourage them to speak to their midwives and maternity teams if they have any concerns.”

Angela McConville, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, said: “While some women have safe, positive and supported experiences, the inconsistency of care is unacceptable. “None of this is new. As the report highlights, nearly 750 recommendations have already been made to improve maternal and newborn care.

“The question that the inquiry and the maternity taskforce must now answer is simple: why has no change taken place?