Asked by: Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's Module 3 Report, published on 19 March, on the impact of intensive care work on staff wellbeing; and whether they plan to introduce an intensive care workforce covenant to support retention and long-term psychological support.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that the pandemic had a profound and lasting impact across society, and its effects were felt particularly acutely within the health and social care system. We are deeply grateful to everyone across health and social care in the four nations who contributed to the country's response.
The Government is committed to learning the lessons of the COVID-19 Inquiry and we are investing in and reforming the health service to ensure it is fit for the future and available for people when they need it. We will consider the inquiry’s findings and recommendations carefully and respond in full in due course.
The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is a top priority, and we want to ensure that there is better support for staff in the future.
NHS England offers a range of health and wellbeing resources, as well as the National Staff Mental Health Treatment Service to provide support for those with more complex mental health needs.
The 10-Year Health Plan announced the introduction of Staff Treatment Hubs that will focus on mental health and musculoskeletal issues, the two main reasons for sickness absence in the NHS. In addition, a series of staff standards for modern employment will be launched in April 2026. These will tackle the issues that really matter to staff such as support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the cultural and leadership issues referenced in the Baroness Amos' interim report; and whether those findings will inform future approaches to supporting maternity teams.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be launched imminently. The taskforce will develop a national action plan to address the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s recommendations. The Department has been engaging with bereaved and harmed families and stakeholders on how the taskforce is set up, including the Terms of Reference and membership. It will be made up of a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, as well as family and staff representatives, charities and campaigners. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.
Previous reviews and research have provided a clear picture of the challenges facing maternity and neonatal services. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will bring together and prioritise all the existing recommendations, as well as the new evidence they are collecting. The investigation’s interim report details the insights gathered so far but much evidence is still being collected and analysed. Baroness Amos has advised that the investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June.
Alongside this, the Government is taking immediate action to boost accountability and safety as part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future. This includes measures to hold the system to account, a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration the Department has given to Baroness Amos' interim report’s findings regarding the limited progress on recommendations from previous maternity investigations, and how this will influence future review and implementation processes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be launched imminently. The taskforce will develop a national action plan to address the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s recommendations. The Department has been engaging with bereaved and harmed families and stakeholders on how the taskforce is set up, including the Terms of Reference and membership. It will be made up of a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, as well as family and staff representatives, charities and campaigners. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.
Previous reviews and research have provided a clear picture of the challenges facing maternity and neonatal services. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will bring together and prioritise all the existing recommendations, as well as the new evidence they are collecting. The investigation’s interim report details the insights gathered so far but much evidence is still being collected and analysed. Baroness Amos has advised that the investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June.
Alongside this, the Government is taking immediate action to boost accountability and safety as part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future. This includes measures to hold the system to account, a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to publish a response when the final part of the Amos Review has been delivered; and what preparatory work his Department has undertaken to respond to the anticipated recommendations.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will be launched imminently. The taskforce will develop a national action plan to address the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s recommendations. The Department has been engaging with bereaved and harmed families and stakeholders on how the taskforce is set up, including the Terms of Reference and membership. It will be made up of a breadth of independent clinical and international expertise including those who can speak to the inequalities within maternal health, as well as family and staff representatives, charities and campaigners. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.
Previous reviews and research have provided a clear picture of the challenges facing maternity and neonatal services. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will bring together and prioritise all the existing recommendations, as well as the new evidence they are collecting. The investigation’s interim report details the insights gathered so far but much evidence is still being collected and analysed. Baroness Amos has advised that the investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June.
Alongside this, the Government is taking immediate action to boost accountability and safety as part of the Government’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future. This includes measures to hold the system to account, a system to better identify safety concerns, rolling out a programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and new best practice standards in maternal mortality.
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment their Department has made of trends in the level of discrimination faced by (a) Sikhs and (b) Jews as ethnic groups in the provision of their Department's services.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out a reimagined service designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes. This includes tackling the conditions where there are the greatest disparities for ethnic or religious groups.
There is currently limited information held in the Department on levels of discrimination faced by Sikhs and Jews.
Indicators to monitor progress in health inequalities are measured in key health outcomes. For example, there is data on health and disability status from the 2021 Census that suggests that self-reported ill health and disability in those of Sikh and Jewish religions are both lower than the average for England and Wales. Further information on the 2021 Census is available at the following link:
NHS England published an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion improvement plan for the National Health Service workforce in 2023. It sets out targeted actions to address the prejudice and discrimination, both direct and indirect, that exists through behaviour, policies, practices, and cultures against certain groups and individuals across the NHS workforce. The plan was co-produced through engagement with staff networks and senior leaders. NHS boards track, monitor, and put in place improvement plans to tackle prejudice and discrimination in the NHS workforce.
In October 2025, the Prime Minister ordered an urgent review of antisemitism and all forms of racism in the NHS, as part of wider efforts to tackle discrimination in the health service.
NHS England has since announced further measures to address racism and antisemitism, including the strengthening of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training and revising uniform guidance to ensure patients and their colleagues feel respected in NHS settings. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-tackle-antisemitism-and-other-racism-in-the-nhs
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 identify and tackle systemic causes of avoidable harm in maternity and neonatal services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While the vast majority of births in England are safe, we know that systemic causes of avoidable harm exist in maternity and neonatal services, and this is not acceptable.
This is why my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, asked Baroness Amos to lead an independent investigation in National Health Service maternity and neonatal care to help us understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. The investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June 2026.
The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, 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. The taskforce will also hold the system to account for improving outcomes and experiences for women and babies.
We are not waiting to take action. We have already recruited over 800 more midwives, we’re investing over £140 million to address critical safety risks on the maternity estate, and we are rolling out guidance to tackle the leading causes of maternal death. We are also rolling out programmes to tackle discrimination and racism and avoidable brain injuries.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Amos Review interim report's findings regarding reports of racism and stereotyping in maternity and neonatal services; and what steps are being considered to respond to these issues.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The interim report of the national independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal care, chaired by Baroness Amos, underlines the unacceptable experiences of some women and their families due to racism and discrimination.
The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies and families from Black and Asian backgrounds as well as deprived and marginalised groups. A coherent single set of national recommendations will be published by the investigation in June, which the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will address by developing a new action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.
We are not waiting for the investigation to report. We are taking immediate actions, including a programme in all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, while local systems are all implementing their Equity and Equality action plans. We have also launched a ‘Maternal Care Bundle’ which includes best practice for clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death for women from Black and Asian backgrounds.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in reducing disparities in health outcomes between ethnic groups; and how that progress is monitored and evaluated.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is a priority for the Government to increase the amount of time people spend in good health and prevent premature deaths, with an ambitious commitment to halve the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions.
Our 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out a reimagined service designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes. This includes tackling the conditions where there are the greatest disparities for ethnic groups.
In England, the maternal mortality rates are significantly higher among women from Black and Asian ethnic backgrounds. To combat this, we are introducing an anti-discrimination programme to all trusts to tackle discrimination and racism, and have published a ‘Maternal Care Bundle’, which includes best practice for the clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death for women from Black and Asian backgrounds.
NHS England have launched a Maternity and Neonatal Equalities dashboard that brings together key information to address health inequalities in maternity and neonatal care services from a range of data sources, with breakdowns by ethnicity and deprivation to make health inequalities visible, measurable, and actionable in maternity and neonatal services.
We have also legislated to modernise the Mental Health Act to give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout their treatment which will seek to address some of the disparities between ethnic groups. The Government is also committed to delivering the cross-sector Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. The ambitions outlined in the strategy include research on, and better understanding of, national trends and suicide rates in particular groups, including ethnic minority groups.
We have published a plan designed to transform cancer outcomes and we are determined to close inequalities in screening and early diagnosis for ethnic minority communities and underserved communities through our new Neighbourhood Early Diagnosis Fund, which is part of £200 million for Cancer Alliances.
There are ethnic inequalities that exist across the cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathway, that is, from the prevention of disease, through to treatment and rehabilitation after a CVD event. To address this, the Department and NHS England are working together to deliver the CVD Modern Service Framework and are engaging widely throughout its development. At the heart of this is engagement with people and communities, including through the Race Equality Engagement Group.
Asked by: Paul Waugh (Labour (Co-op) - Rochdale)
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.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address inequalities in maternal health outcomes, particularly among women from deprived or marginalised backgrounds.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.
Baroness Amos is chairing the National Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation which aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from Black and Asian backgrounds, as well as deprived and marginalised groups.
The Government is committed to setting an explicit target to close the maternal mortality gap. We are ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach to determining what targets are set, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred.
NHS England’s Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme aims to ensure that all service users and their families receive care that is free from discrimination and racism. Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems have published Equity and Equality action plans containing evidence-based interventions to support women and families from ethnic minority backgrounds or economically deprived areas. NHS England also launched the Maternal Care Bundle that sets clear standards across all services, focused on the main causes of maternal death and harm. The Maternal Care Bundle is avaiable on the NHS.UK website. Women from Black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle targets these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.