Raise the Standards of NHS Maternity Care

Last week, a long-awaited report was published examining the state of NHS maternity care, and it confirmed what many families have been saying for years: maternity services in England are failing women and babies.  

Drawing on interviews with 400 families and anecdotes from 8000 people, the report found that crumbling buildings, understaffing, and a lack of compassion were among the many factors eroding the standard of maternity care in our hospitals.  

In some cases, negligence has even led to mothers and babies being injured during childbirth, which trusts have shockingly tried to cover up.   Giving birth is arguably one of the most frightening and vulnerable experiences of a woman’s life. It’s a time at which reassuring, supportive care is of the utmost importance. Yet women are routinely being subjected to racism, discriminated against, and bullied by the people they are trusting to look after them.   

While this report is shocking, it won’t be surprising for the many families and midwives whose calls for change have gone ignored for years. In fact, this is just the latest in a series of inquiries exposing the failings of NHS maternity care. A report published in 2024 warned of ‘the potential of normalising serious harm in maternity,’ noting that 47% of the trusts it reviewed required safety improvements.  

But how can we expect safety standards to rise when investment is falling?  

Despite promising to deliver better maternity care, the Government still chose to slash ringfenced funding from £95m to £2m last year. Its actions don’t match its promises, and families are paying the price. 

The women, babies, and families of this country deserve better. That is why, together, with my Liberal Democrat colleagues, I am calling for a maternity rescue package that reverses funding cuts, raises safety standards, and protects mothers and babies from harm.