Oral Answers to Questions

Maya Ellis Excerpts

Tuesday 20th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dame Diana Johnson]

I recognise the enormous experience and knowledge of the former Secretary of State for Health and his work on this issue and patient safety more generally. The Department has started to look at expert advice, with a clinical working group, on how best to support continuity of care in modern general practice. I have not read the report that he referred to, but I am happy to go and have a look it. I am also happy to have a discussion with him, because it would be helpful to understand his thinking on what I know he considers to be a very important issue.

[Maya Ellis (Ribble Valley) (Lab)]

Continuity of care in maternity services is based on women building relationships with maternity practitioners who meet them where they are. I would like to echo the comments of the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan): many obstetricians and midwives have been truly disappointed at comments from an NHS leader yesterday, who argued that more maternity units should be shut and that only consolidation of services can make births safer. Women in this country will not accept the industrialisation of our bodies. This Labour Government have promised neighbourhood and preventive healthcare, which has to include allowing new mums to feel rooted in the communities where they will go through their biggest physical and psychological change. Can the Minister assure me that our bodies will not be treated like a manufacturing supply chain to be optimised as she develops the asks for maternity services in this country?

[Dame Diana Johnson]

Gosh, my hon. Friend made a very passionate statement there, and I absolutely agree with what she said. This work will be undertaken with the national maternity and neonatal taskforce, and we will look at all these issues. I hope my hon. Friend will feel able to contribute to that work if she wishes to.