NHS maternity units often cover up harmful errors in childbirth, report finds

"Hospitals that cause harm and injury to women and babies during childbirth often resort to a cover-up of their mistakes, falsify medical records and deny bereaved parents answers. Negligent care has devastating emotional and psychological consequences for families, disputes between maternity staff have a disastrous impact on mothers, and ethnic minority and poorer women have worse outcomes because of racism and discrimination."

"The system is not working for women, babies and families, or for staff. We have seen maternity and neonatal services trying to respond in difficult circumstances and dealing with competing pressures but too often failing to deliver the safe care that women, families and babies expect and deserve, at times with devastating consequences."

"It is a source of continuing distress to families, and great frustration to staff, that the areas identified in previous reviews and investigations as requiring action do not seem to have been addressed or have only been partially addressed. This cycle must stop."

A government-commissioned investigation reveals systemic failures in NHS maternity and neonatal services across England. Hospitals negligently harm women and babies during childbirth, then conceal errors through record falsification and denial of information to grieving families. Ethnic minority and economically disadvantaged women experience worse outcomes due to racism and discrimination. Staff disputes negatively impact maternal care quality. Rising maternal age and obesity rates have increased complexity. The investigation found NHS trusts repeatedly fail to learn from previous scandals and implement necessary improvements. Chronic staff shortages cause delays in assessments, caesarean sections, and induced labor, while preventing home birth options. The current system fails women, babies, families, and staff alike.

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