Maternity Care Crisis: Stars Demand Action from Health Secretary

Reality television personality Louise Thompson has publicly shared previously unseen footage of her traumatic childbirth experience, intensifying her call for improvements in UK maternity services. She is advocating for a meeting with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to discuss these critical issues.

Thompson, who has lived experience of PTSD following the birth of her son Leo in 2021, has partnered with former Conservative MP Theo Clarke. Together, they are campaigning for the appointment of a maternity commissioner. This initiative stems from a parliamentary inquiry they led, which concluded that the quality of maternity services across the UK is 'shockingly poor.'

Thompson's personal ordeal has led to severe health complications, including Asherman's Syndrome and emergency surgery due to a post-natal haemorrhage, rendering her unable to carry another child. She has launched a petition with Theo Clarke, which, if it reaches 100,000 signatures, will trigger a parliamentary debate. The petition seeks the establishment of a dedicated maternity commissioner and a comprehensive national strategy for maternity care.

The Birth Trauma All-Party Parliamentary Group, co-founded by Thompson and Clarke, has highlighted alarming findings. A report indicated that good maternity care is increasingly becoming the exception, not the rule, with many women enduring substandard treatment. The report detailed instances of neglect, including mothers left unattended in soiled conditions and dismissed by staff.

According to the Birth Trauma Association, an estimated 20,000 women annually develop post-natal PTSD, with a further 200,000 experiencing trauma symptoms. Notably, approximately 65% of the NHS's clinical negligence budget was allocated to maternity and neonatal liabilities in 2022-23, amounting to £69.3 billion.