New Review Reveals England’s Maternity Care Failures Are ‘Far Worse’ Than Expected

A national review into England’s maternity and neonatal services has uncovered deeply concerning failures, including poor hygiene, lack of empathy, and discriminatory treatment, with the head of the review stating that conditions are “much worse” than anticipated.

England’s maternity care system is facing severe criticism after a new national review exposed alarming levels of poor care, unsafe conditions, and discrimination within several maternity and neonatal units. Baroness Valerie Amos, who leads the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, revealed that her early findings show problems far more serious than she had expected.

During visits to multiple NHS trusts and conversations with more than 170 families, the review found mothers going hungry, wards that lacked basic cleanliness, and women being denied support for essential needs like meals, mobility, and catheter care. Many women reported feeling unheard—particularly when expressing concerns about reduced fetal movements—while poor, Black, and working-class mothers were disproportionately subjected to discriminatory care.

Baroness Amos highlighted heartbreaking accounts from women who felt blamed for their babies’ deaths, as well as cases where NHS organisations appeared to “mark their own homework” after incidents of harm, failing to address unprofessional behaviour or harmful language from staff.

The report also revealed that staff in some maternity units faced abusive treatment from the public, including social media attacks, death threats, and even having rotten fruit thrown at them. Staff stated that intense media scrutiny made their work more challenging, though it also pushed some hospitals to improve.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who commissioned the review, said the update clearly shows “systemic failures causing preventable tragedies.” He emphasised that while many NHS staff work tirelessly, the issues exposed cannot be ignored.

Despite more than 748 recommendations from previous maternity inquiries—such as those in Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury & Telford, and East Kent—serious harm continues. The largest maternity investigation in NHS history, involving around 2,500 cases in Nottingham, is expected to publish findings in June, while another inquiry has just begun at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

Criticism of the current review persists, with the Maternity Safety Alliance arguing that the process is too limited and fails to fully prioritise families who have suffered. They are demanding a statutory public inquiry.

Baroness Amos’s full report is due in the spring, and Streeting has announced the creation of a new National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to carry forward the recommendations. Families affected by poor care, he said, “will remain at the heart” of future reforms.

Long-time maternity safety advocate James Titcombe, who lost his son Joshua in 2008, believes this review may be the strongest opportunity in years to establish meaningful, long-lasting improvements to England’s maternity services.