Health Secretary James Murray has admitted that maternity failures in the NHS are “on a scale that shames our society”, after a rapid review led by Baroness Valerie Amos found families have suffered from repeated failures in care. Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Murray said he was “haunted” by the findings, which come less than a week after an inquiry into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) revealed more than 500 mothers and babies suffered avoidable harm or died due to “deeply embedded systemic failures”.
Health Secretary's Emotional Admission
Mr Murray told MPs: “The NHS is still failing women, babies and their families on a scale that shames our society. Bereaved and harmed families are hearing once again the unbearably painful and distressing consequences of the opportunities that have been missed to put things right.” He added that he thought of how those families must be feeling, noting that their “unwavering determination is accompanied by a sense of exhaustion”.
Baroness Amos Review Highlights Systemic Failures
The rapid review, led by Baroness Valerie Amos, concluded that failures occurred at every stage of maternity care. Mr Murray described the report as painting a “bleak picture of failings at every stage”. The review follows the Ockenden inquiry into NUH, which found a “toxic” hospital culture where more than 500 mothers and babies were harmed or died.
Call for Culture Change
Mr Murray called the moment a “watershed moment” and stressed that culture is the most deep-rooted cause of failures. He said: “We will dismantle toxic dynamics, boost staff morale, and support better teamwork between midwives, doctors, and other clinicians. We need not only the right policies, procedures, and processes to be in place, but also a fundamental reset in the culture of a service that too often puts the desire to protect itself above the duty to protect women and babies.” He urged trust leaders, executives, and senior clinicians to “pay attention to what is happening on their watch”, put professional tribalism aside, and lose the “bunker mentality” when things go wrong.
Breaking the Cycle of Inaction
The Health Secretary emphasised the need to break the cycle of recommendations being ignored. “This has to be a watershed moment. We must break the cycle of recommendations sitting on a shelf gathering dust,” he said. The admission comes amid ongoing scrutiny of NHS maternity services, with families campaigning for justice and accountability.
