Emily Barley, whose daughter Beatrice died due to failings at Barnsley Hospital in 2022, has warned that the appointment of a national maternity commissioner would be "fundamentally dangerous". The founder of the Maternity Safety Alliance told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the recommendation in the Amos review was "not going to do what we need to move maternity safety forwards".
Government Response to Growing Pressure
Ministers have agreed to recruit the UK's first commissioner for maternity and neonatal care, bowing to increasing pressure. The role will involve pursuing hospitals over persistent failures, ensuring wide-ranging improvements, and restoring family trust in a maternity system rocked by scandals. Health Secretary James Murray announced the move in response to Valerie Amos's government-commissioned inquiry, which found a system characterised by poor care, failure to listen to women, and widespread racism and discrimination.
Barley's Criticism of the Commissioner Role
Barley argued that concentrating power in one person is "just insane" and "designed to grab headlines, but not to make the change that we need". She stated that none of the report's recommendations would have prevented Beatrice's death and highlighted a pattern of not being listened to, even after children have died. Barley reiterated her call for a public inquiry into maternity care failings.
Amos Defends the Proposal
Responding to criticism, Lady Amos said the role is not about concentrating power but providing an independent voice for women and families. Her report made eight main recommendations, including overhauling maternity triage services, granting families the right to independent investigations, replacing the NHS's "brutal" compensation system with one requiring immediate error admission, and rooting out racism and discrimination in the maternity system.
Amos on Culture and Public Inquiry
Amos told BBC Breakfast that cultural change is needed, ensuring staff understand how to handle trauma and that people feel able to speak up. She expressed a personal view that a statutory public inquiry is not necessary, as her proposed changes could have a transformational impact more quickly, though she understands why some families are calling for one.
