Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help reduce levels of NHS negligence in relation to injuries to babies, in the context of levels of NHS payouts last year.

The Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is currently considering a wide range of evidence and proposals to inform its development of the Maternity and Neonatal Action Plan, with a particular focus on how to avoid preventable injuries to mothers and babies, informed by the recommendations that the Baroness Amos investigation, the Donna Ockenden reviews, and Lady Justice Thirlwall’s inquiry have already made in this area.

Alongside this, we are implementing a programme to reduce avoidable brain injury in childbirth by improving care in two high-risk areas: recognising and responding to foetal deterioration during labour; and managing impacted foetal head during caesarean section.