Overview
- Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to reintroduce national maternity standards that will be measured by patient experience and overseen by a new maternity taskforce.
- The package includes an early warning system that will use patient feedback and performance signals to identify underperforming maternity units and prompt interventions.
- Ms Cooper reaffirmed the government’s pledge to appoint a national maternity commissioner to champion improvements and ensure follow-through at trust and national levels.
- The Amos review that prompted the response found repeated failures in NHS maternity care, and its perceived softening on a 'normal birth' drive has fuelled professional disputes and the resignation of Dr Bill Kirkup.
- The reforms respond to high-profile trust failures and persistent inequalities in outcomes, and they aim to reduce the postcode lottery and racial disparities that campaigners say have left mothers and babies at risk.