Adolescent health
UK maternal deaths rise as birth rates fall

Maternal deaths rose from 209 to 254 between 2015–17 and 2021–23, despite fewer births, new data from the House of Commons library has revealed.
The death rate increased from 9.16 to 12.67 per 100,000 births over the same period. A maternal death is defined as one occurring during pregnancy or within 42 days of the pregnancy ending.
The figures follow health secretary Wes Streeting’s warning about “the normalisation of deaths of women and babies” in NHS maternity care.
Jess Brown-Fuller, Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, who commissioned the research, said: “It is appalling that maternity deaths are rising even after the years of concern over the state of services that has led to so many scandals with deadly consequences.
“Families are being torn apart and unimaginable pain is being caused after years of shocking neglect so that now, even with the number of births declining, the number of deaths are rising.”
While the 2021–23 figures are slightly lower than the 275 deaths and 13.56 deaths per 100,000 maternities reported in 2020–22, both sets were the highest in the eight-year period examined.
The Commons library compiled its data using reports from MBRRACE-UK, the official audit of maternity care quality, led by Oxford University’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit in collaboration with senior clinicians and the Royal College of Nursing. Each report covers a rolling three-year period.
Last month, Streeting announced an England-wide “rapid national investigation” into what he described as a “crisis” in maternity and neonatal services.
He said the review would “provide truth and accountability for impacted families and drive urgent improvements to care and safety, addressing systemic problems dating back over 15 years”.
The investigation will focus on up to 10 areas of concern, including Leeds—where a scandal is unfolding—and Sussex. It will be carried out with the involvement of affected families.
Streeting is also chairing a newly established taskforce to ensure progress is made on what he called “the biggest patient safety challenge facing our country”.
MBRRACE-UK data shows women aged 35 or over are three times more likely to die than those aged 20–24. Black women face more than double the risk of white women during pregnancy or shortly after.
In recent years, official inquiries have examined failings at Morecambe Bay, East Kent, and Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trusts. Another inquiry is ongoing in Nottingham. National strategies to reform maternity care were published in both 2016 and 2023.
“We cannot allow a situation to persist where people are needlessly dying and their loved ones are left to pick up the pieces,” Brown-Fuller added.
She accused the Conservatives of allowing services to “decay” and urged Streeting to act swiftly on past recommendations.
The library’s research also found that progress has reversed in 11 of the 31 priority areas in NHS England’s 2023 three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services.
These include staff listening to women’s concerns during labour, providing compassionate care, and giving clear explanations after birth.
The Department of Health and Social Care did not comment on the rising deaths but pointed to Streeting’s investigation and commitment to improving safety and quality in maternity care.
Adolescent health
WUKA brings Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre to keep girls swimming through puberty

This summer, WUKA and triple Olympian Hannah Miley MBE are bringing their Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre with one clear mission: to prove that periods should never keep anyone out of the water
At a time when 84 per cent of teenage girls in the UK say their interest in sport declines after starting their period – and nearly 70 per cent report skipping sports or swimming due to menstruation – WUKA’s immersive community event is tackling one of the most overlooked barriers to girls’ participation head-on.
WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party was created as a safe, inclusive space for teens to swim on their periods with confidence.
Following a series of sold-out events across the UK, including Eastleigh and Stonehaven in Hannah Miley’s hometown of Aberdeen, the London-based Olympic venue is a result of growing demand from teens and parents seeking supportive, stigma-free spaces to stay active during menstruation.
Why This Matters?
For many young people – particularly those who are not ready to use tampons due to age, comfort, cultural reasons, or parental guidance – swimming during their period can feel inaccessible.
WUKA’s period swimwear offers an alternative designed to provide comfort, coverage, and confidence, helping ensure that periods don’t mean sitting on the sidelines.
The new one-hour London takeover combines swimming, education, and empowerment in one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues.
Breaking The Stigma While Making A Splash
So much more than a product event, WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party is a fully immersive experience featuring a DJ-approved summer playlist, inflatable pool installations, and professional underwater photography capturing barrier-free swimming moments. Every teen will also receive a curated £80 wellness goodie bag, including free WUKA swimwear.
But more than anything, they’re about freedom, confidence, and belonging, ensuring the confidence to swim, period, or not, continues long after they leave the water.
Hannah Miley MBE says: “Being an athlete taught me that your cycle isn’t a weakness, it’s just something to manage.
“Partnering with WUKA for this Pool Party is about showing young swimmers that with the right support and the right kit, they don’t have to press pause on their lives or their sport because of their period.”
WUKA Founder Ruby Raut says: “This is about more than a pool party – it’s about changing what inclusion in sport actually looks like.
“Too many girls step back from swimming and physical activity because of period stigma or lack of options.
“Through community-led events like this, we’re breaking barriers, building confidence, and making sure no one feels excluded from sport because of their cycle.”
Saturday 30th May 2026 | 5–6pm | London Aquatics Centre
Want to join the pool party? Follow this link to buy your tickets
Adolescent health
France to reimburse young women for cost of reusable period products
Adolescent health
Newly-launched Female Health Hub will support grassroots football players

A new Female Health Hub launched by the English FA will support women and girls in grassroots football in England with trusted advice on health issues affecting play.
The hub brings together expert-backed guidance, practical tools and player insights in one place, giving women and girls practical advice and reassurance on female health in football.
It has four core aims: to help women and girls better understand their bodies and how female health affects performance and participation, to educate players on key health topics and when to seek further advice or support, to provide practical strategies to help navigate common female health challenges, and to help break down taboos and normalise conversations around female health in football.
Users of the hub will also be able to hear directly from members of the England women’s national team, who share their own experiences of navigating female health matters while playing at the highest level of the game.
“Our ambition is to create a game where women and girls can thrive,” said Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football.
“To achieve that, it’s essential that players feel supported in environments that understand and respond to their female health needs.
“We’ve heard directly from grassroots players that they want better information and support around female health, but that they often don’t know where to find it.
“The launch of the Female Health Hub marks an important step in changing the landscape.
“We want every player to feel confident in her own skin and supported without judgment, so she can feel empowered by her body, rather than held back by it.”
The platform was launched following research conducted by the FA that highlighted the need for better education and support around female health in football.
According to the FA, 88 per cent of adult players surveyed said their menstrual cycle has an impact on their ability to train or play, but 86 per cent reported they had never received education about the menstrual cycle in relation to football performance and training.
The research also found 64 per cent of women experience issues related to sports bras or breast health while playing football, despite sports bras being considered one of the most important pieces of playing kit.
Players also expressed strong interest in learning more about injury prevention, at 87 per cent, nutrition, at 84 per cent, and mental health, at 77 per cent, in relation to female health.
The first phase of the Female Health Hub focuses on three of the most requested topics: menstrual health, breast health and injury resilience, with further content to follow, including nutrition and pelvic health guidance.
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