What are the main issues with NHS maternity care?

Maternity care in NHS hospitals suffers from inconsistency, with issues ranging from poor hygiene and neglect to avoidable deaths of mothers and infants. Many recommendations for improvement have also been ignored.

Who is investigating the NHS maternity and neonatal care failures?

Baroness Valerie Amos is leading the national maternity and neonatal investigation (NMNI) into the shortcomings within NHS maternity and neonatal care.

Have there been specific scandals in NHS maternity wards?

Yes, numerous high-profile scandals have occurred in various NHS trusts, leading to multiple inquiries. The situation at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust are particularly serious examples.

Home / Health / Maternity Care Crisis: Lives Lost, Reforms Ignored

Maternity Care Crisis: Lives Lost, Reforms Ignored

9 Dec

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Summary

Numerous mothers and children have suffered from poor maternity care.
748 recommendations for improvements in maternity care were ignored.
Discrimination against women of color and mental health patients noted.

Maternity Care Crisis: Lives Lost, Reforms Ignored

A critical investigation into England's maternity and neonatal care has revealed staggering shortcomings, resulting in lost lives and ruined futures for thousands of mothers and children. The latest report highlights widespread inconsistency, with "unacceptable care" and "tragic consequences" becoming far too common.

Despite previous scandals and numerous inquiries, a shocking 748 recommendations for improvement have been ignored. Baroness Amos, leading the national investigation, expressed dismay at the "scale of unacceptable care" and noted potential issues like unconscious misogyny and discriminatory treatment against women of color and those with mental health problems.

Urgent action is now demanded. The health secretary's taskforce must implement tangible improvements swiftly, aiming to ensure every woman feels safe giving birth in an NHS hospital, a goal that could define his legacy.