National Maternity Investigation Response

“Today’s progress is a testament to the courage of bereaved women, parents and families whose voices have shaped this investigation. Their experiences, and those of women and parents who have been harmed or failed by the NHS, must remain at the centre of this process. 

“The government’s commitment to listening to women and new parents and addressing inequalities is welcome, but it must work harder to amplify the voices of those most often failed by the system. Research shows that women who die during pregnancy or birth often face a constellation of biases, including racism, poverty, mental health challenges, and domestic abuse. These are deep-rooted, systemic failures that demand urgent action. 

“Every year, NCT hears the stories of thousands of new and expectant parents, each with a unique experience of maternity care. Many have been failed by the NHS system, suffering devasting loss and harm, some have been excluded from access to the vital services they need, others have not been listened to or had their concerns dismissed. Some women have had safe, positive and supported pregnancy, birth, and postnatal experiences – and their voices deserve to be heard too.   

“We now need clarity on how parents will be meaningfully involved throughout this investigation, especially those from marginalised communities. By listening to the full spectrum of experiences, we can learn from failure, share best practice, and build a maternity, neonatal, and postnatal system that is safer, more personalised, and responsive. 

“While this investigation rightly focuses on long-term reform, we must not forget those who are pregnant or have recently given birth today, particularly in the 14 NHS Trusts under investigation. There must be clear plans in place to ensure they feel safe, informed, and supported now.” 

While NCT welcomes the progress the government has made, its decision to expand the investigation to 14 NHS trusts, and its commitment to listening deeply to the experiences of parents, there are still areas of concern that must be addressed to ensure the investigation delivers the world class maternity and neonatal system that parents in the UK deserve. 

As the investigation progresses, NCT is urging the government to: 

Address the need for increased investment: In addition to the welcome focus on leadership, culture, and the failure to listen to women and new parents, the investigation must also tackle areas that need dedicated investment, including unsafe staffing levels, insufficient training, a declining maternity estate and lack of resources. 
 

Consider the system-wide context: A fragmented, poorly coordinated system, spanning emergency, maternity, postnatal, primary, and community care is putting women, babies and parents at risk. NCT urges the investigation to confront these system-wide failures.

Consider postnatal care: Women and new parents need support at home, in the community, and online that is accessible 24/7. A well-trained, confident and resourced workforce is crucial to delivering this safety net, with a focus on areas of greatest deprivation and need. 
 

Acknowledge learnings and best practice: Alongside an honest and uncompromising examination of NHS failings, the investigation should highlight and scale examples of good practice and rationalise the 700+ maternity improvement actions already identified to form a single, national blueprint for maternity and neonatal improvements.   
 

Adequately resource the investigation: Swift action is vital and delivering interim recommendations by December should be a realistic goal, however we need more detail about how the investigation will be resourced and who will make up the team involved to ensure parent engagement is meaningful and diverse perspectives are being heard across the maternity community 
 

Support expectant parents in the 14 NHS Trusts today: Parents who are pregnant or who have recently given birth may be anxious or concerned following the news that their NHS Trust is part of the investigation and clear action needs to be taken to inform and support these parents.