Responding to Baroness Amos’ report from the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Research, Sarah Scobie said:
“Years of decline in maternity care have left a stain on the NHS and caused untold distress to families at a time that should be full of promise and hope. With almost 750 recommendations to improve services already sitting on the shelf from previous reviews, what’s needed now is an intense period of work over the next year to bring clarity on how Amos’ priorities will be implemented and to make headway on changes on the ground.
“We still won’t see meaningful change until the National Taskforce and new maternity Commissioner get started on actioning the recommendations. We also need to see the detail of the new modern service framework to know whether it will realistically enable trusts to deliver better care.
“The extra funding announced today to improve outdated buildings and equipment which put the safety of mothers and babies at risk is a good start. But this report rightly raises expectations for what services can deliver, so funding for maternity services needs to match that ambition. Funding also needs to account for the clear trend towards more babies being born by C-section or an assisted delivery, along with the higher proportion of mothers who are older or have complex health conditions. However, no amount of money or regulation will solve the deep rooted professional culture tensions between midwives and doctors. The professions need to work together to get to grips with this dysfunctional relationship.
“Not all the dangers facing families are about what goes on within maternity services. Much more focus is needed on preventing the common health conditions that make pregnancy and birth riskier, such as obesity and poor mental health. Given many of these issues disproportionately affect women from deprived areas and particular ethnic groups, prevention and building trust with particular communities has a critical role to play in reducing the inequalities laid bare in this report.”