The Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has ordered a rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services
Streeting said that the investigation is addressing systemic problems dating back over 15 years.
This government he says have inherited a situation where issues in maternity and neonatal care had been ongoing for some time and a series of independent reviews into local trusts had found similar failings in compassionate care – including the failure to listen to women, concerns over safety, and issues with leadership and culture.
The investigation will urgently look at worst-performing services in the country, but also across the entire maternity system, bringing together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of actions to ensure every woman and baby receives safe, high-quality and compassionate care.
It will begin its work this summer and report back by December 2025.
Wes Streeting said:
For the past year, I have been meeting bereaved families from across the country who have lost babies or suffered serious harm during what should have been the most joyful time in their lives.
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.
We‘re also taking immediate steps to hold failing services to account and give staff the tools they need to deliver the kind, safe, respectful care every family deserves.
Maternity care should be the litmus test by which this government is judged on patient safety, and I will do everything in my power to ensure no family has to suffer like this again.
The investigation will consist of two parts. The first will urgently investigate up to 10 of the most concerning maternity and neonatal units, including Sussex, to give affected families answers as quickly as possible.
The second will undertake a system-wide look at maternity and neonatal care, bringing together lessons from past inquiries to create one clear, national set of actions to improve care across every NHS maternity service.
The government is also today establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care – and to be made up of a panel of esteemed experts and bereaved families.
