Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the Trusts outlined in the national maternity review were made aware of (a) their inclusion before the review was publicly announced and (b) why they had been chosen to be included in the review.

All trusts were made aware that they had been selected for inclusion in the national maternity and neonatal investigation before it was publicly announced.

The Chair’s selection of the trusts for the local reviews has been made with a view to ensure a diverse mix of trusts, including variation in case mix, trust type, and geographic and demographic coverage. By taking this approach, the investigation can capture learning from a wide range of provision and experiences, ensuring the findings are relevant across the system.

The rationale of these selected sites has taken into consideration several criteria, including data indicating trusts with poor outcomes or experience, in particular from Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK, or MBRRACE-UK, perinatal mortality rates from 2021 to 2023, and the Care Quality Commission maternity patient survey from 2024.

The Chair also considered trusts proposed by bereaved and harmed families who have experienced failures in maternity care.