Health Secretary Wes Streeting has launched a sweeping national investigation into the state of maternity services across England, following a series of high-profile scandals and persistent safety failings.
Announcing the review at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists World Congress, Mr Streeting said the investigation would be modelled on the landmark Darzi review into NHS care and aims to restore public confidence in maternity services.
The decision follows emotional meetings with bereaved families whose babies died at hospitals including Nottingham, Leeds, East Kent, Shrewsbury, Telford, and Morecambe Bay, all areas previously identified for serious failings in maternity and neonatal care.
“While the majority of births are safe and delivered by dedicated NHS professionals, it’s clear something is going wrong, which is why I’ve ordered a rapid national investigation to deliver truth and accountability for families and ensure no parent or baby is ever fails again,” said Mr Streeting.
The investigation will unfold in two parts. The first stage, to begin immediately, will urgently examine up to ten of the most high-risk maternity and neonatal units. The second phase will take a broader, system-wide view of maternity services across the NHS, drawing lessons from previous inquiries to deliver a single, unified set of national actions aimed at improving safety, respect, and quality of care.
In addition, the government is establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Health Secretary and composed of medical experts and bereaved families, to oversee reforms and drive accountability.
Streeting apologises to bereaved families for previous government’s inaction
Mr Streeting said he had not ruled out the possibility of a full public inquiry and would make that decision once the initial investigation reports back. He also apologised to bereaved families for previous government inaction and said the current proposals from NHS leadership on improving maternity care had been underwhelming.
“We must go further. Maternity care should be the litmus test for this government’s commitment to patient safety.”
This announcement comes after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) warned in September that safety failings in maternity services were so widespread that they risked becoming normalised. Nearly two-thirds of NHS maternity services were rated as either requiring improvement or inadequate for safety.
A number of trusts are already under intense scrutiny, including Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Mid and South Essex, Gloucestershire Hospitals, and University Hospitals Sussex. Mr Streeting confirmed that the most concerning trusts will meet with NHS England Chief Executive Sir Jim Mackey and Chief Nursing Officer Duncan Barton within the next month to discuss urgent improvement plans.
Sir Jim Mackey added: “This rapid national investigation must draw a line in the sand. We need one clear plan of action, greater transparency, and stronger accountability to ensure high-quality maternity care for all.”
The investigation is also expected to address deep-rooted inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes, which Mr Streeting said had become more pronounced despite past efforts like the Better Births initiative and the NHS Maternity Transformation Programme.
“Our aim is not just to fix broken services,” Mr Streeting said, “but to rebuild a maternity system where every woman, baby, and family receives the kind, safe, respectful care they deserve, regardless of background, location, or income.”
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