National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation

Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts

Monday 6th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

My noble friend allows me to say how grateful we are to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for its continuing work, as we are grateful to our many partners who are committed to driving through change. We are working particularly closely with RCOG in developing routes forward. I agree with the points that my noble friend made. Most NHS maternity staff—and other staff, but we are talking about maternity staff—are providing exceptional care. It must be very difficult for them to hear about and read these findings. Our job is to support them with the right culture and leadership, and to equip them and support them to listen and learn. It is important that we have the right skills mix among consultants, to whom my noble friend refers, and retain them, because they are absolutely key. We will continue to work with RCOG accordingly.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, like others I recognise the kindness and compassion that the majority of staff in our health service deliver, but as the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care rightly said:

“We must break the cycle of recommendations sitting on a shelf gathering dust”.


The Minister has already made it clear that the reviews currently planned will continue. I wondered whether they might be postponed or cancelled, but, as they are not going to be, will we ensure that we stop looking further and actually implement what is necessary now, in particular more senior midwives on duty at night? As well as employing more midwives, can we look, through the NHS workforce plan, at putting both general nurses and mental health nurses on fast-track midwifery courses so that we have experts in other areas working in midwifery?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I know that the noble Baroness, Lady Amos, made the kind of comments to which the noble Baroness refers. The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will certainly look at all these areas and, as I mentioned, those reviews will continue. I emphasise that we have to bring this cycle to a close. That is exactly why the former Secretary of State commissioned the noble Baroness, Lady Amos, so that we would bring together a coherent, fully informed list of national recommendations. That is indeed what we have, and we have already actioned a number of them. To the points that the noble Baroness made, that work will continue and will not be held up.