Will any woman who has given birth on the NHS be surprised by a damning report into maternity services? I wasn’t. I was horrified to read of babies born with cerebral palsy because of mistakes and failures made before and during labour. I was deeply saddened to read about mothers who were mocked, neglected, patronised, even shouted at, by midwives during childbirth, with many suffering long-lasting effects. But surprised? No.
Aspects of this Birth Trauma Inquiry are eerily familiar. In 2022, the Ockenden report into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital concluded that ‘repeated’ failures in care may have led to the deaths of more than 200 babies, and of nine mothers. But this wasn’t even the first: a Morecambe Bay inquiry in 2015 had investigated similar concerns and made similar discoveries. Now, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma has drawn attention to many more births which have led to poor outcomes for mother or baby.
In childbirth, women are too often treated like conduits and ignored
A picture has emerged in recent years of inadequate maternity care and a fixation among certain staff with ‘normal’ deliveries.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in