Fourteen NHS trusts will have their maternity services investigated after long-running system failures, the government has confirmed.

The investigations form part of a rapid review of England’s maternity services announced in June. Health secretary Wes Streeting praised the “extraordinary courage” of bereaved families who raised concerns spanning 15 years.

Some families have criticised the process, calling the review “not fit for purpose” and Streeting’s response inadequate.

Baroness Amos, who is chairing the review, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she hoped families would “get the justice that they want and that they deserve.”

She described the situation — where trusts had already been investigated, “hundreds” of recommendations made, yet new reviews are still required — as “completely unacceptable.”

Research by baby loss charities Sands and Tommy’s suggested better care could have prevented more than 800 baby deaths in 2022–23.

Streeting chose a rapid review instead of a national inquiry into maternity care, despite families calling for one.

The review, originally due to finish in December, will now report in spring 2026, with interim findings expected around Christmas. It will look at family and staff experiences in maternity care and why previous inquiry recommendations from Morecambe Bay, East Kent, and Shrewsbury and Telford failed to bring lasting improvements.

Past inquiries exposed issues including dismissal of women’s concerns, weak leadership, failure to learn from safety incidents, and damaging workplace cultures. Families continue to report poor care.

Baroness Amos said “particular attention” would be paid to why black and Asian families have worse outcomes.

The Department of Health said the trusts were chosen based on data analysis, family feedback, and geographical and demographic representation.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists warned the focus would “create real anxiety among women, families and staff” at the 14 trusts.

It added that the review would need to re-build a world class maternity system.

“Too many women and babies are not getting the safe, compassionate care they deserve and the maternity workforce is on its knees, with staff leaving the profession,” said the college’s president, Prof Ranee Thakar.

The Maternity Safety Alliance (MSA), which represents families affected by poor care, delivered the strongest criticism.

It accused Streeting of “broken promises” over the investigation’s scope and management, saying families felt “used.”

They particularly condemned the decision not to examine NHS regulators, including the Care Quality Commission and NHS Resolution, the service’s insurance and litigation arm.

“The review seems to have already decided that all the responsibility for these 800 deaths a year lies squarely with NHS trusts and the clinicians who work in them,” said Tom Hender, who lost his son Aubrey in 2022.

“That’s just not true — the whole system is in crisis and we need a whole system approach.”

The MSA said the investigation was “not fit for purpose” and would not achieve Streeting’s stated aims, adding: “It is clear that only a statutory public inquiry can end the crisis in maternity care.”

Baroness Amos responded that the terms of reference were broad given the timeframe and regulators were “not excluded,” but added: “The kind of in-depth review that is being requested is not something that I am able to conduct.”

The two families who successfully campaigned for an investigation into maternity care in Shrewsbury and Telford called the review “an important and brave first step.”

However, the parents of Kate Stanton-Davies and Pippa Griffiths said it would be “safer” if the review proceeded more slowly, stressing the need for proper mental health support for families sharing their stories.

“It’s not enough to have a nominal support figure in the room and an email address for follow-up,” they said.

The ongoing challenges facing maternity services were highlighted last week.

On Monday, a review at Gloucestershire Hospitals found nine baby deaths between 2020 and 2023 could have been avoided.

Then on Friday, a report revealed over half of maternity and neonatal buildings were rated unsatisfactory, with 7 per cent at risk of imminent breakdown.

Charles Massey, chief executive of the General Medical Council, is expected to tell a Manchester conference that a “toxic” NHS cover-up culture leads to poor maternity outcomes.

He will say “patient safety is falling victim to unhealthy culture” and that “the unthinkable — harm to mothers and their babies – is at risk of being normalised.”