Why has maternity care failed to improve despite 748 recommendations?

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By Emma Wilkinson

The head of a review into maternity care in England has said she was not prepared for the “scale of unacceptable care” that women and families had received and the “tragic consequences” for their babies.

In an initial report outlining her reflections so far Baroness Valerie Amos said the NHS had recorded a “staggering” 748 recommendations relating to maternity and neonatal care – most of them since 2015 – yet little appears to have changed.

The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation is expected to report in the spring after reviewing care at 12 trusts, meeting with families and speaking to NHS staff.

Changes within maternity services have also been “too slow”, despite being necessary and urgent, Baroness Amos said in her report of initial impressions.

Among the issues that have come up consistently are women not being listened to, not being given the right information to make informed choices, and discrimination against women of colour, working class women, younger parents and women with mental health problems, the report said.