Fourteen NHS hospital trusts in England are to be investigated over serious concerns about maternity care, amid claims that avoidable failings have put mothers and babies at risk for more than a decade.
The move forms part of a rapid review of maternity services announced in June, following repeated scandals that have exposed poor leadership, ignored warnings, and avoidable deaths across the NHS.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said bereaved families had shown “extraordinary courage” in coming forward, but some campaigners have already branded the review “not fit for purpose.”
Which Trusts Are Involved?
The trusts being examined include some of England’s largest and most high-profile hospitals, as well as units previously criticised in major inquiries. They are:
- Blackpool Teaching Hospitals
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals
- University Hospitals of Leicester
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals
- Sandwell and West Birmingham
- Gloucestershire Hospitals
- Yeovil District Hospital
- Oxford University Hospitals
- University Hospitals Sussex
- Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn
- University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay
- East Kent Hospitals
- Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital
The Department of Health said they were chosen based on patient data, families’ testimony, and to provide a spread across different regions and communities.
Baroness Amos to Lead
The review will be chaired by Baroness Amos, who has pledged to listen to families and ensure their experiences are at the centre of the process. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she admitted it was “completely unacceptable” that repeated inquiries had already made “hundreds” of recommendations, yet families continue to report poor care.
She promised to produce interim findings by Christmas, but the full report is now expected in spring 2026, later than originally planned.
“There will be particular attention to why black and Asian families have noticeably poorer outcomes,” Baroness Amos added.
Families Demand More
While some families welcomed the review, others have been scathing. The Maternity Safety Alliance (MSA), a group of parents who lost babies in NHS care, accused Streeting of breaking promises and ignoring their calls for a full statutory inquiry.
“The review seems to have already decided that all the responsibility lies with NHS trusts and clinicians,” said Tom Hender, whose son Aubrey died in 2022. “That’s just not true – the whole system is in crisis. We need a whole-system approach.”
The MSA said the current process “is not fit for purpose” and warned it would not deliver the change needed. They want NHS regulators such as the Care Quality Commission and NHS Resolution to be directly investigated.
Earlier Warnings Ignored
Past investigations into Shrewsbury and Telford, Morecambe Bay, and East Kent exposed repeated failures to listen to mothers, learn from mistakes, and provide safe staffing. Each inquiry made dozens of recommendations, yet campaigners say lessons have not been embedded.
Recent reports underline the ongoing crisis. A review of care at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust found that nine baby deaths between 2020 and 2023 could have been prevented. Meanwhile, more than half of maternity and neonatal buildings across England were rated unsatisfactory, with some at risk of “imminent breakdown.”
Research by charities Sands and Tommy’s estimated that better maternity care could have prevented the deaths of over 800 babies in 2022–23.
Staff Under Pressure
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists warned that the investigation could create “real anxiety” among women and staff at the trusts involved, but agreed the system needed urgent repair.
“Too many women and babies are not getting the safe, compassionate care they deserve,” said college president Prof Ranee Thakar. “The maternity workforce is on its knees, with staff leaving the profession.”
Divided Responses
Not all campaigners are dismissive. Families of Kate Stanton-Davies and Pippa Griffiths, who led the fight for the Shrewsbury and Telford inquiry, said the new review was “an important and brave first step.” But they warned it must move at a careful pace and provide proper mental health support for families giving evidence.
“It’s not enough to have a nominal support figure in the room and an email address for follow-up,” they said.
Culture of Denial
The concerns were echoed last week by Charlie Massey, chief executive of the General Medical Council, who said a “toxic culture of cover-up” in the NHS was leading to unsafe maternity outcomes. He warned that “harm to mothers and their babies is at risk of being normalised.”
Outlook
The review aims to examine why past reforms have failed, and whether systemic barriers — such as weak regulation, poor leadership and staff shortages — continue to undermine safety. But families who fought for years to have their voices heard are divided on whether it will finally deliver change.
For some, it is a chance to hold the NHS to account and prevent further tragedies. For others, it risks being yet another review that highlights problems without fixing them.
