14 NHS Trusts Named in National Review of Maternity Services

Baroness Valerie Amos has confirmed the names of 14 NHS Trusts that are to be included in the national review of maternity services in the UK, as announced by Wes Streeting in June. This comprehensive national maternity review represents the most significant investigation into maternity care failings in recent years.

Which Trusts Are Included in the National Review of Maternity Services?

The Trusts named for inclusion in the national maternity review are:

• Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals
• Bradford Teaching Hospitals
• East Kent Hospitals
• Gloucestershire Hospitals
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals
• Oxford University Hospital
• Queen Elizabeth, Kings Lynn
• Sandwell and West Birmingham
• Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital
• University Hospitals of Leicester
• University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay
• University Hospitals Sussex
• Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust / Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Over half of these Trusts ranked in the lower half of the recently published NHS Acute Trust league table, highlighting why they have been selected for these national maternity hospital reviews.

What Are the Aims of the National Review of Maternity Services?

Baroness Amos, who was appointed as chair of the investigation, has advised that impacted families have been placed at the heart of this work and were asked to input on the draft terms of reference of the national review of maternity services.

These terms were set out to focus on the experiences of affected women and families, identifying lessons learnt and driving improvements needed to ensure that maternity and neonatal care across England is of a high quality and safe for women.

The investigation will also pay close attention to inequalities faced by Black and Asian women and by families of marginalised groups, who continue to experience significantly increased risks of maternal mortality, infant health complications and maternal injuries during labour.

What Happens Next in the National Maternity Review Process?

When Wes Streeting announced this investigation, it was the first of a two-part approach to addressing maternity care through the national maternity review process.

There has been no formal announcement as to how Baroness Amos will be conducting the investigation. She has already met with a number of impacted families and this is likely to continue. It is also likely to include meetings with clinicians and midwives as well as executive staff at the Trusts to provide answers promised to families and come up with the recommendations for implementation across wider NHS maternity services as part of the national maternity hospital reviews.

The second phase of the investigation would then undertake a system-wide look at maternity and neonatal care to bring together the lessons learnt from past inquiries with the aim of creating a national set of actions to improve overall care across every NHS maternity service.

Timeline for the National Review of Maternity Services

Whilst Mr. Streeting had indicated that the national review of maternity services was due to publish its conclusions around December 2025, Baroness Amos has advised the report will now be published in Spring 2026, with the aim of producing interim findings around December 2025.

Interim Report Published: Key Findings and Next Steps

Since the timeline outlined above, the national review of maternity services has released an interim report. It highlights persistent safety and quality concerns across England’s maternity and neonatal services. Families’ experiences reveal systemic failings, including care being dismissed, discrimination affecting outcomes for women of colour, gaps in basic standards of care, and birth plans not being followed. The interim report also emphasises the urgent need for cultural and systemic change to improve outcomes for babies, mothers, and birthing people. Read our full article on the interim report here.

A national call for evidence will open in January 2026, inviting contributions from women, families, fathers, and non-birthing partners. Baroness Amos will gather further evidence from local hospital site visits of the named Trusts, as well as from NHS workers and national organisations such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC), General Medical Council (GMC), Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigation Programme (MNSI), NHS England, and the Royal Colleges of Midwives and Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. 

The final report is expected in Spring 2026 with a single set of national recommendations aimed at improving the safety and quality of maternity and neonatal care.

How Were Trusts Selected for the National Maternity Review?

It has been confirmed that the Trusts chosen for investigation are based on a number of factors. Some, such as Shrewsbury and Telford, East Kent Hospitals and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, were chosen due to previous investigations that took place — such as the Ockenden Report at Shrewsbury and Telford and Dr Kirkup’s independent reviews at East Kent Hospitals and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay — to incorporate previous learnings from these, and to understand why improvements in some cases have not been made.

The other Trusts have been included for selection in the national maternity review on the basis of:

• CQC maternity patient survey data
• MBRRACE-UK perinatal mortality rates
• Variation in case mix
• Trust type
• Geographic coverage
• Provision of care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, including consideration of social, economic and racial inequalities
• Family feedback

Concerns About the Scope of National Maternity Hospital Reviews

Whilst there will be those who are relieved to see their local maternity units included in this list, such as parents in the ‘Families failed by OUH Maternity Services’ group, who are campaigning for a full public inquiry into failings in Oxford maternity care, others will be disappointed not to see other failing Trusts included in the national maternity hospital reviews.

There also remain concerns about the scope of the investigation, specifically that it will not go far enough. The Maternity Safety Alliance have already raised concerns about the investigation being unfit for purpose, and that the only way to enact effective change around the crisis in England’s maternity care will be via a statutory public inquiry.

The Maternity Safety Alliance have been critical of the decision not to investigate the role of NHS regulators, such as the Care Quality Commission and NHS Resolution, with a review of the whole system being the necessary approach. Baroness Amos has advised that a review of the relevant regulatory bodies is not something she has been given power to do.

* Following yesterday’s announcement, our Partner and maternity negligence specialist, Helen Hammond, was interviewed by BBC Midlands, alongside her clients Tom and Ewa Hender, whose baby son Aubrey was stillborn at City Hospital in Birmingham, part of Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. They discussed the implications for affected families:

What the National Maternity Review Means for Affected Families

Regardless of whether or not the maternity care you received was at a Trust included in the national maternity review, if you or your child has been harmed during pregnancy, birth or the neonatal period, our national dedicated team of birth and maternity injury lawyers are here to help. We have extensive experience of supporting families through investigation processes such as HSIB, MNSI or internal hospital reviews, including those arising from independent maternity hospital inquiries.

We can advise early on whether you might have a claim for medical negligence against the Trust and guide you through the process. For more information about how we can support families through birth injuries, please visit our dedicated birth injury page.

If you require legal advice following a traumatic birth, please contact us today to arrange a no-obligation consultation.