Over 1,000 preventable maternal deaths since 2010
An investigation reveals over 1,000 maternal deaths since 2010, many of which were preventable.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An investigation has revealed that more than 1,000 women have died before, during, or shortly after giving birth in the UK since 2010, and around half of those deaths may have been preventable with better care. The findings come ahead of the publication of an independent review of maternal and neonatal deaths in England by Baroness Valerie Amos, which is expected to highlight serious failures in the system.
Between 2010 and 2024, a total of 1,155 pregnant women and new mothers died in the UK. The most common causes of pregnancy-related death remain blood clots, suicide, and haemorrhage, and these have not changed in decades. Despite a government pledge in 2015 to halve maternal death rates from 2010 levels by last year, the rate has actually increased. There has been a 57% rise in direct or obstetric pregnancy-related causes, and the vast majority of those deaths are considered preventable.
Racial disparities persist. Black women are still more than twice as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes, and Asian women and those from mixed ethnic backgrounds also face a higher risk. One campaigner described the underlying issue as racism, including microaggressions, harmful stereotypes, and assumptions about pain thresholds, leading to mothers not being believed or listened to.
The investigation highlighted two specific cases. Laura-Jane Seaman died in 2022 at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, two days after giving birth to her fifth child. An inquest found her death was avoidable and contributed to by neglect, with midwives treating her collapse from blood loss as dehydration and failing to escalate her deterioration as an emergency. The hospital trust said staff are now better trained in recognising early signs of deterioration.
Jade Hart died in 2018 at Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop after doctors used excessive force pulling on the umbilical cord, causing her uterus to turn inside out and leading to multiple cardiac arrests. The coroner said her death was contributed to by neglect. The hospital trust said the findings have informed changes to clinical practice, training, and oversight.
The Department of Health and Social Care offered sympathies to bereaved families and pointed to the recent appointment of a new maternity advisor and new guidance on tackling leading causes of maternal death. Families left behind continue to call for change, with one widowed father saying he hopes his story provides hope for others.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 |
|---|---|
| 1,155 pregnant women and new mothers died in the UK between 2010 and 2024. | |
| Around half of maternal deaths since 2010 were preventable with better care. | |
| Jeremy Hunt's 2015 pledge to halve maternal deaths by 2025 was followed by a 57% increase in direct or obstetric pregnancy-related causes. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4's coverage is an investigative report that drives the story itself, focusing on the scale of preventable maternal deaths, the human cost through personal stories of bereaved families, and systemic failures in NHS maternity care. The tone is critical and emotional, highlighting broken government promises and persistent racial disparities, while also including official responses from hospital trusts and the Department of Health.
- “That's 1,000 missing mothers. First words, first steps, first days at school that they will never see.”
- “We have to just call it what it is. Racism, whether it's covert racism, overt racism, whether it's microaggressions, harmful stereotypes and assumptions about the pain threshold of a mother, not believing a mother, not listening, not acting proactively towards a mother that looks like me.”
- “I never want anyone to feel the pain that we feel. I never want any other grandmother to hold their hours-old baby, grandson, and fear for the life of the mother that's just given birth.”
Broadcast Timeline
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