National Examination of Maternity Services

The Health Minister has announced a national examination of maternity services in England, stating "We have to act now". This "fast" examination will urgently consider the worst maternity and newborn services in the country.

Urgent Action Required

The examination will start this summer and report until December 2025. The Minister met with parents who lost babies in a number of maternity scandals at some NHS trusts and said that the investigation would "ensure that these families receive the truth and accountability that they deserve".

Background

There have been several maternity scandals in the past decade, with many families suffering avoidable harm. The Minister apologized on behalf of the NHS for the suffering of these families. The review will give the victims of maternity scandals a voice in how the examination is carried out.

Aims of the Examination

The Minister wants to ensure that "no parent or baby is ever disappointed again". He acknowledged that while the vast majority of births are safe and without incidents, it is clear that something is going wrong. The examination will consider the experiences of bereaved families who have lost babies or suffered serious harm during childbirth.

Structure of the Examination

The examination will consist of two parts. The first part will urgently examine up to 10 of the most worrying maternity and newborn units, with the aim of giving affected families answers as soon as possible. The second part will take a system-wide look at maternity and newborn services, bringing together lessons from previous inquiries to create a national series of measures to improve care.

Addressing Inequalities

An anti-discrimination program will be implemented to combat inequalities in the care of black, Asian, and other under-provided communities. The latest national data shows that maternity rates in black women are almost three times higher than in white women, while Asian women die twice as often.

Previous Reports and Recommendations

The announcement follows a number of critical reports on maternity provision in the past ten years. There have been calls for permanent systemic changes to address the problems. The government’s announcement is seen as a welcome step, but there are concerns that previous recommendations have not been fully implemented, leading to missed opportunities to improve patient safety and learn from mistakes.