Health Bill: Ministers must show more ambition on maternity safety, say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have criticised the Government following its decision to vote down amendments to the Health Bill, aimed at transforming safety standards across British maternity services.

The proposed amendments would have placed a legally binding duty on ministers to ensure every maternity unit in the country achieves a “Good” or “Outstanding” rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on safety, and to ensure every woman has 1-1 midwifery with 24/7 consultant presence on every unit.

The rejection comes amid growing concern over the state of NHS maternity care, with recent inspectorate reports highlighting widespread systemic failings, severe staffing shortages, and inconsistent care standards across regional trusts.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

“65% of maternity units are unsafe. More women are suffering severe bleeds. More women are suffering major injuries. More women are dying. How long will we continue to accept the unacceptable for mothers and babies?

“By rejecting these amendments, the Government has turned its back on a vital opportunity to raise standards and rebuild trust. Safe maternity units should be the bare minimum, not an ambition ministers can simply brush aside.

"The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for the 1-1 midwifery, 24/7 consultant cover and the repairs to crumbling wards that we need to make Britain the safest place to have a baby. We won’t let this go.”

Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough said:

 

“If you’re pregnant in Yorkshire, there’s a very real prospect of having to attend an “inadequate” maternity unit at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust if you come up against complications.

“I’ve listened to constituents who’ve been affected by poor care at some of their most vulnerable moments and we need to act fast.  

“We welcome the ongoing review into services, including at Leeds, as well as the creation of a Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner, which we’ve been calling for. But the government needs to keep going until this is the safest place in the world to have a baby”.