UK government to appoint national maternity commissioner after review finds care failures

The government announced plans to appoint a national maternity commissioner after a review identified repeated shortcomings in NHS maternity and neonatal care. The review, led by Baroness Valerie Amos, collected evidence from more than 450 families, over 10,500 public responses, and more than 9,000 staff members.

It visited 12 NHS trusts with poor maternity records and documented cases where women and families said they were not listened to, faced delays, or received inadequate pain relief.

Findings on care and staffing The report stated that antenatal care often did not match patient needs and that services were fragmented, with inconsistent mental health support and poor coordination between labour, birth, and postnatal stages. It also found racism, discrimination, and structural inequalities embedded in the system, including reports of racial slurs and unequal treatment.

Staff described being ignored when raising safety concerns, working long shifts without breaks, and operating in poorly maintained clinical environments. The review noted that some women underwent procedures without informed consent and that internal investigations sometimes contradicted families' accounts of events.

Government response and next steps The government agreed to create the commissioner post to provide independent oversight. The Department of Health will publish a national action plan on maternity in December. Lady Amos said the commissioner must be accountable to Parliament and maintain a focus on redesigning services with clear national safety standards.

The report recommended that all maternity units have dedicated, trained triage staff and that trust boards regularly review waiting times and performance. The Maternity Safety Alliance, which includes bereaved families, called for a statutory public inquiry and described the commissioner recommendation as insufficiently independent.