Home / Health / Maternity Care Probe: Expert Urges Action Over Inquiry
Maternity Care Probe: Expert Urges Action Over Inquiry
3 Jan
Summary
- Expert urges Health Secretary to fix known maternity issues.
- Workforce, training, funding, education, and culture cited.
- Progress on critical maternity safety actions remains disappointing.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is considering a nationwide probe into NHS maternity services due to widespread failings. However, midwife Donna Ockenden, who led reviews into baby deaths, argues that critical issues have been known for over a decade. She stressed that workforce, training, funding, education, and culture are the core problems, requiring resolution now.
In 2022, Ms. Ockenden outlined 22 immediate actions to enhance maternity safety, following her review of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. Despite these recommendations, she noted "very disappointing progress" in implementing necessary changes. Her current review of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust's maternity services echoes these concerns.
While acknowledging the families' calls for a public inquiry, Ms. Ockenden emphasized the urgent need for implementation of known solutions. She believes the focus should shift from further investigation to tangible action, stating that the necessary steps to improve maternity care are already clear and require immediate execution.
