Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will provide funding to implement all outstanding actions outlined in the Ockenden report.

NHS England continues to provide additional and recurrent funding to support National Health Service trusts to implement the Immediate and Essential actions set out in Donna Ockenden’s review into maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust. This includes £185 million since 2021 to fund additional front line midwives, obstetricians, and specialist neonatal staff and to bring sustained improvements in our maternity and neonatal services.

A further £35 million is being invested over the three years from 2024 to support Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnerships, training on neonatal resuscitation and brain injury, and new roles for newly qualified midwives.

Last year, the Government commissioned an independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, chaired by Baroness Amos, to bring together the findings from past reviews, including Ockenden’s review at Shrewsbury and Telford, as well as local investigations and evidence from families and staff into one clear national set of recommendations.

Baroness Amos published her final report on 30 June, and the Government’s Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce will now translate her recommendations, as well as those national recommendations from the Independent Review of Nottingham maternity services, into a single, national action plan to drive systemic and sustained improvement across maternity and neonatal care. It will also hold the system to account for implementing the plan and improving outcomes and experiences for women, babies, families, as well as staff.

We are also taking immediate action, including investing £186 million to address critical safety risks across the maternity and neonatal estate, and £10.6 million to fund temporary roles for newly qualified midwives.