Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve maternity care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I remain deeply concerned by the state of maternity care we inherited in the NHS.

The Secretary of State announced a rapid, independent investigation in NHS Maternity and Neonatal services to help us understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation, led by Baroness Amos is looking into the maternity and neonatal system nationally and will bring together the findings of past reviews into one clear national set of recommendations, and will publish its final report and recommendations in the Spring 2026.

The government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The Taskforce will address the recommendations of the Investigation by developing a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.

We are not waiting for the investigation to report. We are taking immediate actions to boost accountability and safety as part of the government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future. This includes a new early warning system to better identify safety concerns, implementing a new programme to reduce brain injuries in childbirth, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, investing over £149 million into the maternity estate, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.