The UK Government must improve pregnancy and neonatal outcomes
Every day in the UK, 13 babies die before they reach 28 days old. Despite being the second-largest economy in Europe, the UK has a higher infant mortality rate than 26 of its European neighbours, earning a troubling reputation as the infant mortality capital of Europe.
How is this possible? These deaths are preventable. These tragedies are avoidable. Yet, nearly half of our maternity services are rated as “inadequate” or “requiring improvement” by the Care Quality Commission.
A report released by the Care Quality Commission this week highlighted serious failings across 131 maternity units—two-thirds of the total units examined, including those previously thought to be performing better. The report revealed that preventable harm is being “normalised,” with widespread issues including poor leadership, low morale, staff shortages, broken equipment, and even instances of patients being left in unsanitary conditions, such as blood-stained sheets.
The recent Darzi Review has called for significant improvements across skills, staffing, clinical models, leadership, and culture, stressing that merely increasing staff numbers won’t solve the underlying issues. The recommendations of this report, like those before it, must not be allowed to gather dust.
At the Liberal Democrat Conference last weekend, I moved our Motion on Maternal and Neonatal Health, and I was struck by the sad necessity of this action. The needs of women and children, and the glaring inequalities they face, demand immediate attention. Our motion, which was carried unanimously, calls on the UK Government to renew the national maternity ambitions beyond 2025, ensuring that all four nations are included, and setting a clear baseline for measuring progress.
While the deaths of infants rightfully evoke deep sympathies, the issue extends beyond these tragic losses. Women who suffer miscarriages often face not only the grief of losing their babies but also often endure traumatic medical interventions. Their pain and trauma are often dismissed, swept under the carpet as if it never happened. In the National Health Service, a woman must endure three miscarriages before being referred to a consultant. It is little surprise that many women who experience pregnancy loss suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder. This policy must change now! That is why we are calling for support and referral including mental health resources to be available after every miscarriage, not just after three. Along with Immediate access to best-practice care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to also be available for anyone experiencing a miscarriage.
Raising standards of care across the board is critical, but we must also address the specific challenges faced by certain groups. Equitable intersectionality must be tackled with urgency. Disturbing statistics reveal significant racial disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Black babies are almost twice as likely to die within their first 28 days as White babies, while Asian babies are one and a half times more likely to die. Black women are nearly four times more likely to face maternal mortality than White women. Mothers and babies who are Black, Black-mixed, or Asian often encounter unconscious bias in both diagnosis and care.
These figures are just those we know about. Data collection by healthcare providers is inconsistent and inadequate, which is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for all miscarriages to be recorded. The issue must no longer be hidden. We need national targets to track progress and assess the impact of interventions, alongside better coding of ethnicity data.
In one of the most advanced economies in the world, no infant death, no woman suffering the trauma of miscarriage, should go uncounted.
The recent general election ended years of Conservative underfunding and neglect of the health sector. The Liberal Democrats have consistently prioritised health and social care, and we will continue to do so. Now, this Labour Government will be judged on its ability to improve outcomes for women and babies.
In a parliamentary debate in July, Labour’s Wes Streeting admitted that “Maternity safety keeps me awake at night.” Now, with his hands on the levers of power, we need more than insomnia—we need action.
As Chair of Liberal Democrat Women, I believe the UK has the potential to be the safest place in the world to have a baby. Labour has no more excuses. It must deliver for women and children—because they are literally dying for change.
Cllr Donna Harris is Chair of Liberal Democrat Women and Leader of the Opposition at Lambeth Borough Council.
