UK government launches inquiry into maternity hospitals
The British government announced on Monday that it would carry out an inquiry into English maternity hospitals, where, over the last 15 years at least, numerous scandals have revealed “systemic problems” and caused the death of hundreds of babies.
The aim is to “ ascertain the truth and the responsibilities of affected families and introduce urgent improvements in care and safety ”, said the British Ministry of Health, referring to “systemic problems that date back more than 15 years”.
“I have met with grieving families across the country who have lost a baby or suffered serious injury during what should have been the happiest time of their lives. What they have experienced is devastating,” Health Minister Wes Streeting said in a statement.
In recent years, several inquiries and reports have highlighted serious failings in English maternity hospitals, which have also been reported by affected families.
The announcement comes just days after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) warned of the situation in maternity wards at two hospitals in Leeds , northern England. A BBC investigation into the two establishments, published in January, found that at least 56 babies died between January 2019 and July 2024.
The inquiry will begin by analyzing “as a matter of urgency” the worst-performing services in the country and then examine the entire maternity system, the Ministry stressed.
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In 2022, a CQC report concluded that more than half of England’s 139 maternity units had inadequate safety levels or required improvement.
According to different studies, more than 245 baby deaths could have been prevented in several maternity hospitals in the west and south-east of England over 20 years.
One report mentioned cases of newborns with fractured skulls, broken bones and various after-effects as a result of lack of oxygen at birth.
The doctors' stubborn refusal to perform Caesarean sections, inadequate care and the lack of an internal inquiry were also criticized. In response to the protests, the Conservative government at the time apologized .
Several of these reports also highlighted inequalities in treatment , to the detriment of women belonging to ethnic minorities.
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