UK government pledges to improve maternity services after damning report

The UK government will take nationwide action to improve maternity services across the NHS following concerns about the quality of care provided by a trust in the South East of England. 

The government has published its full response to an independent review – led by former regional director of public health, Dr Bill Kirkup – into maternity failings at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust.

The review, launched because of concerns about the quality of care being provided by the trust, found that at least 45 babies might have survived with better care at East Kent NHS.

In response, women’s health minister, Maria Caulfield, has announced she will chair a new group overseeing maternity services nationwide with the aim of bringing together key people from the NHS and other organisations.

The initiative will look across work being carried out by a range of programmes set up to improve maternity and neonatal care, including the implementation of Dr Kirkup’s and other recommendations.

“Every woman deserves to feel confident in the care they and their baby receive,” Caulfield said in a statement.

“I’d like to thank Dr Kirkup and all those involved in investigating the circumstances behind what’s happened in these horrendous cases.

“In particular, I’d like to thank the women and their families, who have gone through so much pain, for engaging with the investigation and helping it reach its findings.

“I’m determined to see safety standards in maternity and neonatal care improve across the country. While this invaluable report focuses on the situation in East Kent, I want to see its recommendations implemented nationwide.”

In East Kent in particular, the minister said she would chair a local forum bringing together local NHS representatives, the Care Quality Commission and local MPs to share information and updates on the improvements being made to maternity services.

She has also appointed Kirkup to lead work with healthcare partners in response to two of the key recommendations, helping to ensure teams in maternity and neonatal care across England can work together more collaboratively.

Organisations from across the health and care system – including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives – have been asked by the government to support its efforts to promote and improve team-working in healthcare settings.

Royal colleges, professional regulators and employers have also been asked to investigate how they can improve workplace culture so standards of professional behaviour in maternity and neonatal settings are high. They will consider what appropriate action can be taken if high standards fail to be met.

Kirkup said: “I see the government’s response to ‘Reading the signals’ as an important step forward in addressing the issues that I identify.

“I welcome the opportunity to lead this significant work and I look forward to drawing together an action group to advise me in doing so.”

Dr Matthew Jolly, national clinical director for maternity review and women’s health at NHS England, said: “We welcome the government’s response to Dr Bill Kirkup’s report – the failings in care for women, babies and their families using East Kent Hospital must not continue to be repeated.

“NHS England has installed an improvement director at the trust alongside a senior advisor, and both are providing expert practical advice to the organisation on the actions it needs to implement to improve its maternity and neonate care, while senior national NHS clinical leaders are regularly visiting both maternity units to monitor progress.

“In March, we published a delivery plan for maternity and neonatal care, which sets out what the NHS will do over the next three years to make care safer, more personalised and more equitable for all women, babies and families.”