The UK government has launched a major national investigation into maternity and neonatal care in England, following years of serious concerns and heartbreaking stories from families. Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the inquiry in June 2025, saying it’s time to act urgently to fix what’s going wrong in NHS maternity services.
Why Is This Happening?
Over the past 15 years, several local and national investigations have revealed repeated problems in maternity care such as poor leadership, safety issues, and a failure to listen to women. Many families have come forward with devastating stories of losing babies or suffering serious harm during childbirth. Despite these stories frequently making national headlines, no action has been forthcoming from government to make long overdue changes.
What Will the Inquiry Do?
The inquiry will happen in two parts:
-
It will focus on up to 10 of the worst-performing maternity and neonatal units in England. These include hospitals in Sussex, Leeds, Gloucester, and Mid and South Essex; places where serious failings have already been reported.
-
It will then look at the whole maternity system across England to find out what needs to change to make care safer for the patients who up to now have too often been failed.
The investigation will be led by experts, NHS staff, and, importantly, parents who have experienced problems firsthand. It will report back by December 2025.
What Changes Are Being Made Now?
Alongside the inquiry, the government is taking immediate steps to improve care. This includes giving the Health Secretary and NHS leaders more power to step in when services are failing. The goal is to make sure every woman and baby gets the safe, high-quality care they deserve. However, these are easy words and real, lasting change will be much harder to deliver. The system has for far too long failed some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Why This Matters
Most births in England are safe, but when things go wrong, the consequences can be life-changing. At Farleys, we see on a daily basis the devastating health problems that babies can be left with when the care falls below an appropriate standard, leaving their families to face a lengthy legal battle to secure the damages they need to take care of their children’s often complex health needs. Making lasting change to the quality of maternity services in England is long overdue as too many families and newborn children have been failed over the last 15 years.
Contact a Medical Negligence Specialist at Farleys
Our medical negligence claim specialists at Farleys have extensive experience in acting on behalf of families who have been impacted by maternity failings. To discuss your circumstances in confidence and for a no-obligation assessment of your case, please call 0845 287 0939, get in touch by email, or use the online chat below.
