England maternity review calls for statutory commissioner

A national review of maternity services in England has concluded the system is "not set up to deliver consistently safe, high-quality and compassionate care," finding widespread failures to listen to women and families, embedded racism, and systemic flaws that have led to avoidable harm and death. The government-commissioned report, led by Baroness Valerie Amos and published on Tuesday, calls for urgent reform and the immediate appointment of a statutory national Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to drive change.

The investigation, which gathered evidence from over 450 families and more than 10,500 written submissions, identified a pattern of women's concerns being dismissed, particularly during telephone triage, with sometimes fatal consequences. It described maternity triage as increasingly becoming the "A&E service for pregnancy" and stated that improving it would save lives and reduce harm. The report also found "unacceptable racism and discrimination embedded within the system," profoundly impacting care quality and outcomes.

Among eight key recommendations, Baroness Amos called for a commissioner accountable to Parliament to oversee the implementation of new national...