Maternity

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Channels reported that up to 20 maternity units in England could close or were facing closure, with rising caesarean section rates and staff shortages putting pressure on smaller hospitals. BBC ONE West reported that a group representing NHS leaders in England, identified as the NHS Alliance, said maternity services were not fit for purpose and called for a new task force to address a lack of specialists and staff and the rise in caesarean deliveries; it also reported that the government said it would deliver reforms through a national task force. 5 reported that caesarean sections now account for about 45% of all births in England and that continuing staff shortages were adding to strain. BBC ONE West also reported protests in North Devon after birthing services at a local hospital were suspended, with pregnant mothers making a 53-mile journey to Exeter; the trust said the temporary closure in Barnstaple was the only safe course because of staffing issues, while campaigners raised concerns. BBC ONE West reported that some units were delivering babies more than 50% of the time with medical intervention, including caesarean section operations, and that NHS leaders urged local and national politicians to make the case for patient safety and changes to the system.

Key Claims by Channel

Monday 29 June 2026

Claim
Only on one channel
Dozens of women reported poor care at Yeovil Hospital's maternity unit.		Not reported by Channel 4
Yeovil Hospital was warned several times that consultants needed to be more involved on labour wards.		Not reported by Channel 4
Yeovil Hospital temporarily closed its maternity unit in 2025 over safety concerns.		Not reported by Channel 4
A woman named Heidi lost her son Curtis in 2009 due to lack of oxygen during labour; the hospital apologised and said mistakes were made.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4
In 2017, Yeovil Hospital requested an inspection which found the unit safe but noted a higher than expected medical intervention rate and that consultants needed greater active involvement on labour wards.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4
Amanda Ford, who investigated at Yeovil Hospital, quit her job after feeling her concerns were being ignored.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4
The regulator told Yeovil Hospital in 2024 that there was not always a consultant present when required.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4
Yeovil Hospital said it has strengthened clinical leadership, employed five new consultants and more midwives.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4
1,155 pregnant women and new mothers died in the UK between 2010 and 2024.	Not reported by BBC One
Around half of maternal deaths since 2010 were preventable with better care.	Not reported by BBC One
Baroness Valerie Amos's independent review of maternal and neonatal deaths in England is due to be published on 30 June 2026.	Not reported by BBC One	Reported by Channel 4
Jeremy Hunt's 2015 pledge to halve maternal deaths by 2025 was followed by a 57% increase in direct or obstetric pregnancy-related causes.	Not reported by BBC One
The most common causes of pregnancy-related death are blood clots, suicide, and hemorrhage.	Not reported by BBC One	Reported by Channel 4
Black women are more than twice as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes; Asian women and those from mixed ethnic backgrounds also face a higher risk.	Not reported by BBC One	Reported by Channel 4
Laura-Jane Seaman died in 2022 at Broomfield Hospital; an inquest found her death was avoidable and contributed to by neglect.	Not reported by BBC One	Reported by Channel 4
Jade Hart died in 2018 at Bassetlaw Hospital after doctors used excessive force on the umbilical cord, causing her uterus to turn inside out and multiple cardiac arrests.	Not reported by BBC One	Reported by Channel 4
The Department of Health and Social Care offered sympathies to bereaved families and pointed to the appointment of a new maternity advisor and new guidance on tackling leading causes of maternal death.	Not reported by BBC One	Reported by Channel 4

Tuesday 30 June 2026

Claim
Reported by all 3 channels
The independent review of NHS maternity services was led by Baroness Valerie Amos and commissioned by the government.	Reported by BBC One	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The review concluded that NHS maternity services in England are not fit to consistently deliver safe and high-quality care.			Reported by Sky News
The review identified specific failings including women not being listened to, embedded racism and discrimination, and fragmented care.	Reported by BBC One	Reported by ITV
The review made eight recommendations, including the creation of a statutory maternity and neonatal commissioner.
Many families and campaign groups expressed disappointment with the review and called for a full statutory public inquiry.	Reported by BBC One	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The government announced immediate measures including appointing a maternity commissioner, new triage standards, and expanding an anti-discrimination program.	Reported by BBC One		Reported by Sky News
Reported by a few · 2 channels
Baroness Amos stated she does not believe a statutory public inquiry is necessary.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The review was published less than a week after a separate maternity review in Nottingham.	Reported by BBC One	Reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
Only on one channel
The government said it is not ruling out a public inquiry.		Not reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
The review gathered evidence from over 10,500 people and visited 12 NHS trusts.	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The review found that black women are almost three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth than white women, and black babies are more than twice as likely to be stillborn.	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The government will publish a national action plan in December.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
Sky News launched an online tool allowing users to compare local maternity services.	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The review recommended replacing the compensation system.	Not reported by BBC One	Reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
The review recommended that families should get an independent investigation when things go wrong.	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News

Monday 19 October 2026

Claim
Reported by all 2 channels
Up to 20 maternity units in England may need to close.
Ongoing staff shortages are putting strain on maternity services.		Reported by BBC One
Rising caesarean and medical intervention rates are putting pressure on smaller maternity units, with reports citing caesarean sections at about 45% of births in England and over 50% medical intervention in some units.	Reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Only on one channel
Caesarean sections account for around 45% of births in England.		Not reported by BBC One
A group representing NHS leaders in England, the NHS Alliance, said maternity services were not fit for purpose and called for a new task force to address staff shortages and rising caesarean deliveries.	Not reported by Channel 5
The government said it would deliver reforms through a national task force to ensure maternity services meet the needs of women and families now and in the future.	Not reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Birthing services at a hospital in Barnstaple, North Devon, were temporarily suspended, prompting protests, with the trust citing staffing issues and pregnant mothers travelling 53 miles to Exeter.	Not reported by Channel 5
NHS leaders urged local and national politicians to make the case for patient safety and changes to the maternity system.	Not reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
A Department of Health spokesperson said making maternity care safer is a top priority.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC One
Campaigners said families in the area had serious concerns, according to BBC ONE West.	Not reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One

This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.