Childbirth-related Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Baroness Pidgeon Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

While I cannot give the specifics here and now, I will be pleased to get that information to the noble Baroness. She is right to highlight the need to make sure that all women have access and that all women who have PTSD or experience of birth trauma are identified. Record numbers of women are now accessing specialist perinatal mental health services—66,500 women last year in England alone. The figures I can get the noble Baroness will, however, give a much better flavour of how we are reaching groups who may well be marginalised in the way that she describes.

[Baroness Pidgeon (LD)]

My Lords, given that six out of 10 maternity units have been assessed as unsafe by the Care Quality Commission, it is not surprising that this research identifies thousands of women experiencing birth trauma. Will the Government now guarantee one-to-one midwifery care during labour and a consultant on every maternity ward 24/7 to support women giving birth?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

Safety is key, and so are the experiences of women and their families. The noble Baroness and the House will be well aware of the national maternity and neonatal plan, which will drive proper, sustained improvement across the system. This is what I believe we have been lacking for years, and it is why we asked the noble Baroness, Lady Amos, to conduct an independent review. She has reported on that and the maternity and neonatal plan will be announced by the end of this year. I certainly look forward to that; it is being worked on as we speak, involving both clinicians and those with lived experience, as well as campaigning organisations and all those with an interest. I am feeling positive about how we move forward, and the point made by the noble Baroness about staffing and ratios will of course be part of that.