Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Final report of the Ockenden review published 30 March 2022, what steps he has taken to implement that report's recommendations.

Following the publication of the Ockenden Review’s final report in March 2022, NHS England sent a letter to trusts setting out the actions in response to the report’s findings. An investment of £127 million was announced, in addition to the £95million announced in 2021, to fund further workforce expansion, leadership development, capital to increase neonatal cot capacity, additional support to Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems and retention support.

The Department and NHS England have established an Independent Maternity Working Group, chaired by the Royal Colleges, as recommended by the report. The Group are providing advice and guidance on the implementation of the Immediate and Essential Actions from the report which will be incorporated into the Single Delivery Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Service to be published in 2023.