Maternity Commissioner Urged; Government Defers to Amos Review
High-Level Summary
Westminster Hall debated e‑petition 751174 on creating a Maternity Commissioner. Members cited longstanding safety, culture and accountability problems in maternity and neonatal services, a “postcode lottery” in care, and stark racial disparities. Many backed appointing a commissioner to drive a single national strategy, while others argued this alone would not resolve deep‑rooted system and workforce issues. The Minister pointed to Baroness Amos’s national investigation, a new maternity and neonatal taskforce chaired by the Secretary of State, recent recruitment and capital investment, and said a commissioner would be considered in light of the review. The motion that the House had considered the petition was agreed without division.
Detailed Summary
E‑petition 751174: Proposal for a Maternity Commissioner
Opening the debate, Tony Vaughan set out the petitioners’ case that fragmented leadership and inconsistent guidance have contributed to safety concerns, citing repeated scandals and Care Quality Commission findings. He noted that “almost half the maternity units it inspected between 2022 and 2023 were rated as “requires improvement” or “inadequate””, and described a recurring theme that women “were not listened to”. He argued “there has been a vacuum of leadership and accountability across the system”, highlighted that “there are 87 different pieces of guidance that apply in maternity care”, and said a commissioner could provide “somebody with whom the buck stops”. Other contributions included Olly Glover citing the CQC’s concern about “the potential normalising of serious harm in maternity”; Andy MacNae’s warning that “we cannot repeat the cycle of reports, reviews and recommendations” and that a commissioner “is not a magic sticking-plaster”; Michelle Welsh’s call that “we need a maternity commissioner” with “real authority and independence”; and Bell Ribeiro‑Addy’s focus on racial disparities—“black women are three times more likely to die” in pregnancy and childbirth—and that “The call for a maternity commissioner is about accountability”. Some proposed additional measures: Steve Yemm urged “a full national and public inquiry”, while Maya Ellis cautioned maternity care is “too complex, too nuanced and too diverse to be well served by a single national maternity commissioner” and highlighted that “Continuity of midwifery care is recommended by both the World Health Organisation and NICE”. Helen Morgan cited data that “65% of maternity units were unsafe for women to give birth in”.
Responding, the Minister (Karin Smyth) said “we remain committed to setting a target to close that mortality gap” in ethnic outcomes. She confirmed that Baroness Amos’s final report, including “one coherent single set of national recommendations, will be published in June”. A new maternity and neonatal taskforce “chaired by the Secretary of State” will “translate the investigation’s final recommendations into action” and “hold the system to account”. She reported “more than 800 more midwives” recruited and “more than £140 million” invested to address safety risks on the maternity estate, and stated: “If Baroness Amos wants to recommend, for example, a maternity commissioner, then we will consider that carefully”. Outcome: “Question put and agreed to… Resolved, That this House has considered e‑petition 751174 relating to a Maternity Commissioner”. Next steps centre on receiving the Amos review in June and the taskforce developing and overseeing implementation of an action plan.