Birth trauma inquiry urges maternity care overhaul
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An inquiry set up to discover why some women have traumatic experiences in childbirth has called for an overhaul of the UK's maternity and postnatal care.
The Birth Trauma Inquiry, led by a cross-party group of MPs, heard "harrowing" evidence from more than 1,300 women - some said they were left in blood-soaked sheets while others said their children had suffered life-changing injuries due to medical negligence.
Recommendations in the group's report include appointing a new maternity commissioner, who would report directly to the prime minister.
The findings of the report will be presented to ministers on Monday, before Health Secretary Victoria Atkins was expected to set out the government's response.
It is estimated that 30,000 women a year, in the UK alone, have suffered negative experiences during the delivery of their babies. One in 20 develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Helen, a mother, was described in the report as still suffering from mental and physical pain - years after the birth of her son, Julian. He was born with a hypoxic brain injury as a result of proven medical negligence during his birth.
"My life will never be as it should be," she told the inquiry. "I never returned to work, I live a very secluded life, as friends and family shun you when you have a disabled child that they might not understand or are scared of."
The report called for a "base standard in maternity services" across the UK and an end to the postcode lottery of perinatal care. It said mothers should be given "universal access to specialist maternal mental health services across the UK".
It also urged the government to outline how it would "recruit, train and retain more midwives, obstetricians and anaesthetists to ensure safe levels of staffing in maternity services and provide mandatory training on trauma-informed care".
The Birth Trauma Inquiry was chaired by Tory MP Theo Clarke, who last October triggered the first ever parliamentary debate on the issue of birth trauma.
In an emotional speech in the House of Commons - which she said was "probably the most personal I will ever give as an MP" - Ms Clarke broke down as she described being rushed into emergency surgery after the birth of her daughter, terrified that she was going to die.
She bled heavily after suffering a third-degree tear and had to undergo a two-hour surgery without general anaesthetic, due to an earlier epidural.
In the report, Ms Clarke and her co-chair Labour MP Rosie Duffield said the inquiry wanted to start a public discussion "on the realities of giving birth and how we can practically improve maternity services" - as well as share the stories and experiences of both mothers and fathers.
Another key suggestion was to "provide support for fathers and ensure [a] nominated birth partner is continuously informed and updated during labour and post-delivery".
The report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma included 12 recommendations in total, including a plea for mothers' health records to be digitised.
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have been approached for comment.
