Maternity Commissioner

Baroness Gohir Excerpts

Wednesday 4th March 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Gohir]

To ask His Majesty’s Government why they have not appointed a Maternity Commissioner; and what assessment they have made of calls to appoint such a Commissioner in (1) the report by Muslim Women’s Network UK Invisible—Maternity Experiences of Muslim Women from Racialised Minority Communities, published on 12 July 2022, (2) the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma Listen to Mums: Ending the Postcode Lottery on Perinatal Care, published on 13 May 2024, and (3) the petition to the House of Commons on this topic by Louise Thompson and Theo Clarke.

[Baroness Gohir (CB)]

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper and declare an interest that I am the CEO of the Muslim Women’s Network, whose report recommending a maternity commissioner is cited in the Question.

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Blake of Leeds) (Lab)]

My Lords, while there are outstanding examples of care, I know that there are serious issues in maternity services. That is why this Government launched an independent national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care, chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Amos, which is expected to make recommendations this spring. Her interim report, published last Friday, reveals systemic, sustained and recurring failures in maternity and neonatal care. Due to the investigation’s ongoing work, there are currently no plans to appoint a maternity commissioner.

[Baroness Gohir (CB)]

My Lords, Louise Thompson and Theo Clarke are present today and I thank them for joining us. They started a petition several weeks ago asking the Government to appoint a maternity commissioner. That petition has now reached more than 146,000 signatories, sending a strong signal to the Government. Will the Government commit to meeting them and me, once the noble Baroness, Lady Amos, has concluded her report, to discuss this issue further, and what are they doing to tackle racism in maternity services?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I welcome them to the House. Our sympathies go out to them, and I praise their bravery in the work they have been doing to highlight their own circumstances and, importantly, those of others. I want to be absolutely clear: the Government were faced with around 740 recommendations from different reports over the years, which is why the review has been called by the Secretary of State. The recommendations that will come from that very soon will lead to an action plan delivered by a national task force chaired by the Secretary of State himself, which shows the seriousness with which he takes this situation. We want to deliver systemic change. I know that many parents have made representations to the Secretary of State, and it is very important that the voices of women in particular are heard in this debate. I look forward to the action plan when it comes forward.