Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on implementing the 15 Immediate and Essential Actions set out in the final report of the Ockenden Review into maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

The Ockenden review into maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital trust identified 15 Immediate and Essential Actions. Following its publication, NHS England wrote to all trusts and systems asking them to deliver the actions and report to their public boards.

The Three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, developed in partnership with families and key stakeholders and published in 2023, brought together the immediate and essential actions from the Ockenden review with those from other reports and guidance. The National Health Service operational planning guidance in 2025/26 set out the expectation that trusts should implement the key actions from the plan. In accordance with the NHS operating framework, it is for integrated care boards to oversee local progress. The technical guidance which accompanied the plan sets out how NHS England has monitored progress of the three-year delivery plan implementation at a national level.

The national independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care, led by Baroness Amos, will also help us understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation is bringing together the findings from past reviews, from local investigations of maternity and neonatal services in selected trusts, and evidence from families and staff into one clear national set of recommendations.