The rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services, ordered by Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, will aim to provide truth to families suffering harm, and urgently improve care and safety.
Issues in maternity and neonatal care have been ongoing for some time. A series of independent reviews into local Trusts has found similar failings in compassionate care, including the failure to listen to women, concerns over safety and issues with leadership and culture.
The investigation will consist of two parts. The first will urgently investigate up to 10 of the most concerning maternity and neonatal units, including Sussex, to give affected families answers as quickly as possible.
The second will undertake a system-wide look at maternity and neonatal care, bringing together lessons from past inquiries to create one clear, national set of actions to improve care across every NHS maternity service.
It will be co-produced with clinicians, experts and parents all feeding in. Work will begin this summer to report back by December 2025.
The investigation comes alongside a package of immediate actions to improve care, including greater intervention by the Secretary of State and NHS Chief Executive to hold failing Trusts to account.
The NHS CEO and Chief Nursing Officer will meet with Trust leaders in the areas of greatest concern over the next month to drive forward urgent improvement, outline consistent expectations in changing culture and practice, and hold leaders to account for failing.
A new digital system will be rolled out to all maternity services by November to flag potential safety concerns in Trusts and support rapid, national action.
An anti-discrimination programme will tackle inequalities in care for Black, Asian and other underserved communities.
The government is also establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to be made up of a panel of esteemed experts and bereaved families.
