See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy SHAUN WOOLLER, EXECUTIVE HEALTH EDITOR Published: 00:03 BST, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 00:04 BST, 30 June 2026
Maternity units are 'not fit for purpose' with filthy, crumbling hospitals leaving mothers suffering unsafe and undignified care, a damning review has found.And a lack of bereavement suites means families are often told devastating news in general waiting areas and forced to carry their dead babies past rows of happy new parents.Pregnant women describe blood-stained toilets and showers, dirty beds and wards infested with insects and mould, as midwives warn that leaks, faulty equipment and other 'safety hazards' distract them from their work, while a lack of beds and cots distorts decision-making.The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, chaired by Baroness Valerie Amos, has concluded women and babies are put at risk by a maternity system that is 'not set up to deliver consistently safe, high-quality and compassionate care'.It found the NHS continues to inflict harm, ignore women and cover-up mistakes despite years of reviews, inquiries and hundreds of previous recommendations.The system must now be redesigned to improve safety and reflect the fact that mothers are increasingly older and more likely to require C-sections, it adds.Lady Amos said: 'Words cannot describe the pain, suffering and trauma I saw and heard time and time again when talking to women and families about their experiences of maternal and neonatal care in England.'Anticipation and joy turned into pain, distress and trauma. Maternity units were found to be unfit for purpose by a damning new report. Pictured: Queen's Medical Centre, which houses the maternity unit of Nottingham University Hospitals Baroness Valerie Amos, author of the report, pictured here with Keir Starmer, said she witnessed indescribable trauma talking to women about their experiences with maternity units'There is absolutely no justification for the tragic cases of unsafe care and avoidable harm we continue to see in England. Nor is it acceptable that so many women and families experience a poor response and lack of accountability when something goes wrong.'The review heard from 450 families, received 10,500 responses to a call for evidence, and gathered evidence from 9,000 staff. It also visited 12 NHS trusts. One woman told investigators: 'The postnatal ward was dirty. My partner had to bring in Dettol. There was blood. It was awful.'In another case, a parent said: 'Can you imagine how I felt having to carry my dead son past all those happy parents with their babies... we should have been in a different part of the hospital.'The Department of Health last night said it would appoint a commissioner in line with the report's recommendations and pledged £41million to improve maternity safety.The report comes less than a week after an inquiry led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden into Nottingham University Hospital found more than 500 mothers and babies suffered avoidable harm or died due to 'deeply embedded systemic failures' at the 'toxic' trust.
