England’s health secretary announces plans to appoint a new maternity commissioner to drive reforms after a review by Lady Amos finds “urgent reform” is needed in maternity and neonatal care. The review concludes that childbirth and newborn services across England are no longer fit for purpose and identifies multiple failings that require systemic change. Ministers say the new role will focus on improving standards, including making hospitals more accountable for persistent problems in care. A key area highlighted by the review is maternity triage, with recommendations to overhaul the service so that staffing levels better support timely responses to women’s concerns.
The review also calls for changes to how complaints and investigations are handled when care goes wrong, including giving families the option to seek a fresh independent investigation if they are not satisfied with a hospital’s internal review. It further recommends reform to the process for agreeing compensation with harmed and bereaved families. In addition, the report says the NHS must address racism and discrimination, which it characterises as embedded across maternity and neonatal services.
Together, the outlets report that the government intends the commissioner to oversee delivery of the review’s recommendations and push for measurable improvements in safety and quality.
