The UK government has committed to appointing a national maternity commissioner to oversee reforms in England’s maternity and neonatal services. Health Secretary James Murray announced the move in response to a government-commissioned inquiry by Valerie Amos, which identified systemic failures including poor care, discrimination, and a failure to listen to women. While the government intends for the commissioner to drive improvements and restore public trust, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from some bereaved families who argue the move is insufficient.
Why critics call the appointment dangerous
Emily Barley, who co-founded the Maternity Safety Alliance, has described the proposal to appoint a single commissioner as “fundamentally dangerous.” Barley, whose daughter Beatrice died in 2022 due to failings at Barnsley hospital, stated that centralizing power and responsibility in one person is “not achievable” and may be a move designed to “grab headlines” rather than implement necessary structural change.
According to Barley, the recommendations outlined in the Amos review would not have prevented the death of her daughter. She noted that a persistent pattern of not being listened to remains a critical issue, even after the deaths of children. Consequently, Barley continues to advocate for a public inquiry into maternity care failings.
Did You Know?
The government’s decision to recruit the UK’s first commissioner for maternity and neonatal care follows a recommendation from the Amos review, which highlighted that maternity triage services—the childbirth equivalent of A&E—require an urgent overhaul and increased staffing levels.
How the government justifies the commissioner role
Lady Amos defended the necessity of the position, stating that the role is intended to provide an “independent voice and advocate for women and families” rather than merely consolidating power. In response to concerns regarding the need for a statutory public inquiry, Lady Amos expressed a personal view that such inquiries take such a long time that the changes she is proposing could have a transformational impact on the system.
Lady Amos argued that the changes proposed in her report could have a “transformational impact” on the system. She emphasized that the primary challenge lies in changing the culture of NHS maternity services, specifically by ensuring that staff who are looking after women understand how to deal with trauma and ensuring that people feel able to speak up when something is going wrong.
Expert Insight:
The tension between the government’s push for a commissioner and the calls from families for a statutory inquiry reflects a fundamental divide on accountability. The success of the government’s approach will likely depend on whether the commissioner can effectively bridge the trust gap with families who feel that current reforms overlook the root causes of their experiences.
What happens next for maternity services
The recruitment process for the UK’s first commissioner for maternity and neonatal care will now move forward as part of the government’s effort to address the findings of the Amos review. It is expected that the person appointed to this role will pursue hospitals over persistent failures in care, ensure wide-ranging improvements are made and try to restore the faith of families in a maternity system in England.
While the government is proceeding with the commissioner model, the demand from groups like the Maternity Safety Alliance for a public inquiry remains a point of contention. It is likely that the effectiveness of the new commissioner will be closely monitored by families and advocacy groups to determine if the role can deliver the systemic changes needed to improve safety and institutional culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of the new maternity commissioner?
The commissioner is tasked with pursuing hospitals over persistent failures, ensuring wide-ranging improvements to maternity and neonatal services, and acting as an independent voice and advocate for women and families to restore public faith in the system.
Why does Lady Amos oppose a statutory public inquiry?
Lady Amos stated that her personal view is that statutory public inquiries take such a long time that the changes she is proposing could have a transformational impact on the system, and that the system would not need a statutory public inquiry.
What does the Amos report recommend for maternity triage?
The report recommends an urgent overhaul of maternity triage services, including more staff on duty, to ensure that women’s concerns are acted upon more quickly.
Do you believe a single commissioner can effectively resolve the systemic cultural issues currently reported in NHS maternity care?
