Lib Dems to end scandal of harm in maternity care and make Britain the safest place in the world to have a baby

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

The Liberal Democrats have today set out the Party’s £600 million rescue plan to end the maternity care scandal and make Britain the safest place in the world to have a baby, which follows sustained campaigning by the Party across the country to improve standards of care.

This comes as maternal deaths in the UK reach their highest level in a decade, with a staggering 65% of maternity units rated as not safe to give birth in. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has also issued stark warnings over the "normalising of serious harm in maternity care”.

Proposals put forward by Liberal Democrats include one-to-one midwifery for every woman in labour backed by the presence of a senior consultant 24/7, protected year-round training for all maternity staff, NHS mental health support to be offered after every miscarriage, a cross-government strategy and mandatory training to eliminate racial disparities in maternal care. These measures would be self-funded through the savings to the £1.3 billion the NHS is forced to spend on compensating for maternity negligence claims each year.

The Party argues that instead of investing in failing units and improved care, the Government is ignoring the realities of the crisis, demonstrated by its decision to vote down Liberal Democrat amendments to the Health Bill that would have bolstered maternity safety, and cuts to vital maternity Service Development Funding.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

“The national scandal in maternity care is shameful. Injuries and deaths are rising, and more than six in ten maternity units are now unsafe - we can no longer accept the unacceptable.

“The Conservatives pushed maternity care to the sidelines, allowing for a dangerous decline. The Labour Government is continuing to ignore the issue and has slashed dedicated funding. Women and their families are feeling the devastating real-world effects of this crisis, and we have a duty to fight their corner.

“The Liberal Democrats will not rest until Britain is the safest country in the world to have a baby. Our conference has backed our new campaign to make every single unit safe, to ensure every woman has gold standard care, and restore faith that our NHS is there for families when they need it most.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Across the country, Liberal Democrat MPs are campaigning to improve maternity care for their constituents. See here. 

Following a debate on Tackling the Maternity Crisis at Autumn Conference, Health spokesperson Helen Morgan MP will today meet parents and babies to discuss maternity care. Please message for further details/ to attend.