The biggest challenge facing Wes Streeting over scandalous state of maternity services
The health secretary clearly has empathy and has listened to families torn apart by maternity failings after announcing a "rapid" national investigation into NHS maternity services.
Monday 23 June 2025 13:04, UK
This was a powerful speech from the health secretary who is clearly troubled by the scandalous state of maternity services in this country.
Wes Streeting has spent the past year meeting bereaved families who have been failed by the NHS.
He said he "was kept up at night" after listening to their harrowing testimonies.
Announcing a national investigation into NHS maternity services, this review is modelled on the Darzi report into the NHS, commissioned by the health secretary almost as soon as he came into office.
It will be "rapid". The terms of reference for the investigation will be known by July. The actual report is expected to be published by Christmas.
Mr Streeting accepts this is an ambitious timeline but is driven by the fear that mothers and babies are still being failed and he does not want "any deaths on his watch".
And he has not ruled out a future public inquiry, which is what the bereaved families have been demanding.
The biggest challenge for the health secretary will be to change the culture within maternity units.
This has been identified as one of the biggest issues in previous reports by Bill Kirkup and Donna Ockenden.
It's why, Mr Streeting said, he chose to make his announcement at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' World Congress Day.
What he said would have made for uncomfortable listening for some delegates but he needs them on board to deliver on his promise to make maternity and neonatal care safe.
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The health secretary clearly has empathy. He has listened to the families torn apart by maternity failings.
But if there is any criticism of his action, it is that it could have been taken sooner, up to six months ago.
The failures across maternity services up and down the country have been known about for a long time.