NHS maternity care 'not working' for women and babies, review warns.

An interim report by Baroness Amos's National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation finds NHS maternity services in England are failing many women, babies and families and says repeated failures have not been addressed. The report says investigators met more than 400 family members and heard from over 8,000 people, and that final recommendations will be published in the spring.

An interim report from Baroness Valerie Amos's National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation says NHS maternity care in England is 'not working' for many women, babies and families. The report says services are repeating past mistakes and that families have been let down in pregnancy and labour. Investigators met more than 400 family members and received evidence from over 8,000 people, including NHS staff. The review identifies systemic problems such as staff shortages, capacity pressures, culture and leadership issues, racism and discrimination, lack of accountability, and problems with buildings and patient records. Key findings: - The interim report concludes the system is failing women, babies, families and staff, and that issues identified in earlier reviews have often not been fully addressed. - Investigators engaged directly with more than 400 family members and heard from over 8,000 people through a public call for evidence. - The report lists six main contributing factors, including staff shortages, capacity and building problems, culture and leadership, racism and discrimination, lack of accountability, and fragmented record systems. Summary: The interim report highlights recurring failures in maternity and neonatal care and records widespread distress among families and staff. Final recommendations from Baroness Amos are due to be published in the spring, and the health secretary has said a maternity and neonatal taskforce will be set up to implement those recommendations when they are released; the investigation's public call for evidence closes next month.