More than half of maternity units are failing – why are we not treating this as the national emergency it is?
3 min read
As a Member of Parliament representing a rural area, I believe people – no matter where they live – deserve safe, compassionate and timely care. But recent figures from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) should concern everyone in Westminster.
More than half (53 per cent) of hospital maternity services in England are rated as “requires Improvement” or “inadequate” according to the House of Commons Library. In the South West, where I represent Yeovil, that figure rises to 56 per cent. These are not minor issues – they reflect serious risks to the safety and quality of care for women and newborns at the most vulnerable time in their lives.
This is not a localised problem. It is a clear sign of a system under unsustainable pressure, and it must be treated as the national crisis it is.
In Yeovil, our local maternity unit recently closed following a Section 29A warning from the CQC, after inspectors raised serious concerns about patient safety. While difficult decisions may sometimes be necessary to keep people safe, I cannot accept how these closures are being handled – suddenly, with little explanation, and no clear accountability for how or when services will return.
Asking mothers to travel further, with fewer choices and less support, is not just inconvenient – it is dangerous
Yeovil is not alone. Over the past four years, maternity units across England have closed more than 2,200 times, often for short periods due to unsafe staffing levels. Reviews by the CQC and others have repeatedly highlighted poor leadership, staff shortages and unsupportive working cultures.
We should not wait for another tragedy before taking action. Nor should we accept funding announcements that fall short. The former government pledged £35m over three years for maternity care in its last Budget. That sounds helpful, but it is less than the cost of one hospital wing – and not enough to fix a national crisis.
We must ask why so many maternity units are failing, and what the government will do about it. Right now, the picture is one of drift and delay.
That is why I welcome Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s announcement of an inquiry into maternity care. This is a vital opportunity to uncover the root causes of poor care, from staffing to postcode inequality. I hope it leads to stronger national standards, transparency and a genuine commitment to restore trust in services like Yeovil’s.
But an inquiry alone is not enough. It must be followed by urgent action. Too many families have already suffered unimaginable losses because of maternity. Investigating what went wrong must not delay improving care now.
The government appears to be paying lip service to maternity safety. Ringfenced funding has been cut. The Ockenden Review’s recommendations have been allowed to gather dust. The Liberal Democrats are clear: that review must be implemented without delay to prevent further avoidable heartbreak.
There are steps the government must take now. First, commit to a review of all maternity services rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ and publish the findings. Second, it must target investment to recruit and retain midwives and maternity staff, especially where the risk is highest.
Third, set national standards for how closures are communicated and require each trust to publish a clear improvement plan with timelines. Families deserve clarity, not confusion.
And finally, stop expecting rural communities like mine to quietly accept the loss of vital services. Asking mothers to travel further, with fewer choices and less support, is not just inconvenient – it is dangerous. A postcode must never determine the safety of childbirth.
We need leadership that matches the seriousness of this crisis. The safety of women and babies must come first. The Health Secretary’s inquiry must mark the beginning of real change – and the Liberal Democrats will be holding the government to account every step of the way.
Adam Dance, Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil
