Key Highlights
- Yes.”The report shows that the NHS has recorded 748 recommendations relating to maternity and neonatal care in the past decade.
- Amos described this as “staggering”. She wrote: “I expected to hear experiences from families about where they had been let down by the care they had received in maternity and neonatal units across the country, but nothing prepared me for the scale of unacceptable care that women and families have received, and continue to receive, the tragic consequences for their babies, and the impact on their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.”She went on: “This naturally raises an important question: with so many thorough and far-reaching reviews already completed, why are we in England still struggling to provide safe, reliable maternity and neonatal care everywhere in the country?”The report highlights a number of issues that Amos said she had “heard about consistently”.
- These include women not being listened to, not being given the right information to make informed choices about their care, and discrimination against women of colour, working-class women, younger parents and women with mental health problems. The investigation also heard of cases of women who had lost babies being placed on wards with newborns, and instances when concerns about reduced foetal movement were disregarded. There were reports of a lack of empathy from clinical teams when things went wrong, leading to women “feeling blamed and guilty”, the report says. Amos thanked families, some of whom have criticised the investigation and called for a statutory public inquiry and for “constructive and honest feedback” as part of the investigation. Valerie Amos: ‘Nothing prepared me for the scale of unacceptable care that women and families have received.’ ark Thomas/AlamyShe said: “I do not understand why change has been so slow.
- It is clear from what I have already seen that change is not only possible but also necessary, and it is urgent.”The NMNI will focus on 12 NHS trusts and its findings are due to be published in 2026.
- Amos said she had full confidence she would complete the investigation within the timelines set out and that it would result in recommendations for “fundamental improvement”. The health secretary, Wes Streeting, who ordered the investigation in June, said Amos’s update “demonstrates that too many families have been let down, with devastating consequences”. He said: “Bereaved and harmed families have shown extraordinary courage in coming forward to share their experiences.
