TL;DR: Maternity Care in England Requires Urgent Reform
England’s maternity services face serious failings, from unclean wards and food deprivation for new mothers to delays in care. Women from Black, poor, and working-class backgrounds report discrimination, worsening outcomes. Overwhelmed staff and decades of missed reforms exacerbate the crisis. Solutions urgently require increased funding, better hygiene, and addressing racial bias.
Advocate for systemic accountability and stay informed, every voice matters.
England’s maternity services are under renewed scrutiny following a national review led by Baroness Valerie Amos. The findings reveal shocking lapses in basic care, painting a grim picture of the current state of maternity care across the country. From hungry mothers denied meals to wards in abysmal sanitary conditions, the investigation highlights stark failings that have been decades in the making.
Why Is Maternity Care Declining?
Maternity care is a cornerstone of public health, directly influencing maternal and infant well-being. In England, however, years of systemic neglect, underfunding, and poor oversight have culminated in avoidable tragedies and a climate of distrust. The interim report, published in December 2025, emphasizes the widespread nature of these issues:
- Unclean Environments: Wards described as unhygienic pose severe risks of infection to vulnerable mothers and newborns.
- Food Deprivation: Some women reported being left hungry after childbirth, with no meals provided for prolonged periods.
- Delayed Care: Bathroom neglect and long waits for essential medical attention compound the risks.
- Discrimination: The care discrepancies extend beyond negligence, women from Black, poor, and working-class backgrounds face disproportionate discrimination. Many reported being ignored, blamed for poor outcomes, and dismissed in moments of crisis.
Baroness Amos expressed concern, saying, “What I’ve seen so far has been much worse than anticipated.”
The Human Stories Behind the Failures
Data points and statistics only begin to tell the story. Families who’ve experienced maternity failures speak of inhumane treatment during what should be moments of joy. Some women were blamed for their baby’s death, further compounding their grief. In other cases, they were not offered empathy or an apology when care fell short.
One woman tearfully recounted her experience: “I lost my baby because no one listened, no one cared. My pain was dismissed as normal when it wasn’t. I begged them to check on my child. By the time they did, it was too late.” Other mothers reported racialized comments and behaviors, illustrating the institutional bias prevalent in these environments.
Staff Under Pressure
The report also highlights the escalating hostility faced by NHS maternity staff. Some have been subjected to physical threats, such as rotten fruit thrown at them, and relentless social media abuse. While accountability is critical, this environment has left many workers feeling demoralized. Staff fear speaking up against poor practices, continuing a vicious cycle of negligence.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged these systemic staff pressures, adding that overwhelmed teams cannot be expected to deliver improved maternity care without structural reforms.
Missed Opportunities for Change?
England’s maternity services have faced decades of reviews, including high-profile inquiries in Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury & Telford, and East Kent. Yet, over 700 recommendations for reform have repeatedly failed to create lasting change. Baroness Amos has vowed to ensure this review is action-focused rather than another report added to the heap, emphasizing the need for stronger oversight mechanisms and transparent investigations when care standards fail.
However, critics argue that the government’s decision to exclude key NHS trusts under police investigation shows a “light touch” that minimizes accountability.
What’s Next for England’s Maternity Services?
The final recommendations from Baroness Amos’s review are due in Spring 2026. While her findings have renewed hope for change among advocacy groups, only time will tell if this translates into real improvements across the board. A newly launched National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has pledged to implement upcoming reforms, but families who have suffered loss remain skeptical.
Experts believe that solutions require:
- Increased funding for staffing and training.
- Improved hygiene standards in maternity wards.
- Greater diversity in NHS leadership to address racial biases.
- Creating safe channels for staff to report poor practices without fear of reprisal.
This moment represents a critical juncture where long-term fixes must replace short-term bandaids.
What Can You Do?
As systemic change takes time, individuals can advocate for accountability by:
- Requesting updates from elected officials on maternity care reforms.
- Supporting advocacy groups like the Maternity Safety Alliance or Birthrights UK.
- Sharing personal stories to bring attention to the human toll of these failures.
For those currently expecting, knowing your rights and proactively engaging with care providers can sometimes make a difference. While patients shouldn’t have to manage quality assurance during childbirth, being informed and asking questions can help prevent some mistakes.
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Frequently Asked Questions About England’s Maternity Services and Local Healthy Dining
How severe is the state of maternity services in England?
England’s maternity services are in a critical state, with decades of systemic neglect leading to shocking deficiencies in care. Recent reviews reveal conditions like unclean wards, food deprivation for mothers post-delivery, and delayed medical attention that exacerbate risks for mothers and infants (BBC Article). Discrimination against Black, poor, and working-class mothers further contributes to unequal outcomes. Baroness Valerie Amos, head of the national review, labeled the findings “much worse” than anticipated, illustrating a grim picture of current care standards.
What are the key factors behind the decline in maternity care?
Years of underfunding, poor oversight, and systemic neglect have compounded issues within maternity services. Key problems include unhygienic environments, discrimination in care provision, inadequate staffing, and missed opportunities for reform despite previous inquiries. The cycle is worsened by overwhelmed healthcare workers facing hostile conditions and lacking safe channels to report malpractice (BBC Article). A National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has been established to implement reforms, with hopes for structural change by 2026.
How are mothers from marginalized backgrounds treated differently?
Mothers from Black, working-class, and poor communities often face disproportionate neglect and discrimination. Reviews cite incidents where women were ignored, blamed for poor outcomes like infant deaths, and subjected to dismissive or racialized comments. These biases contribute to a climate of distrust and unequal healthcare outcomes (BBC Article). Advocates suggest diversity in NHS leadership and transparent investigations as potential solutions to address these discriminatory practices.
What reforms are being proposed to improve maternity care?
Recommendations for improving maternity care span increased funding for staffing, heightened oversight mechanisms, and establishing safe spaces for workers to report malpractice. Additionally, diversifying leadership to combat discrimination and improving hygiene standards in wards are prioritized reforms (Freeths Legal Insight). Baroness Amos aims for a final report by spring 2026 to drive actionable changes.
Are there other inquiries into healthcare services disrupting progress?
England has seen several maternity inquiries over the years (Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury & Telford, East Kent investigations), producing over 700 recommendations but failing to generate lasting impact. Some NHS trusts excluded from the latest review due to police investigations continue to raise concerns about accountability (BBC Article). Critics call for a statutory public inquiry for deeper scrutiny.
What steps can individuals take to advocate for better maternity care?
Individuals can advocate for accountability in maternity care through:
- Writing to local MPs about updates on reforms.
- Supporting groups like the Maternity Safety Alliance and Birthrights UK.
- Sharing stories to highlight the human impact of care failures (National Patient Safety Hub).
How are maternity staff impacted by the declining system?
NHS maternity staff are overwhelmed, facing relentless criticism, physical threats, and social media abuse. Poor working conditions lead to demoralization, limiting staff capacity to improve care standards. Health Secretary Wes Streeting urges for structural reforms to ease staff pressures and ensure safety (BBC Article).
How can healthy dining improve well-being during pregnancy?
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About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp’s expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
