Maternity crisis as deaths of mothers and newborn babies increase for the first time in a decade

Death rates for mothers and newborn babies have increased for the first time in a decade amid growing concerns over patient safety, a report reveals. Lord Darzi, co-director at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, who recently led a recent government-commissioned review into the NHS, said: ‘Our latest report on patient safety in England reveals alarming declines. ‘Our analysis highlights a troubling increase in neonatal and maternal deaths, with black women disproportionately affected.’ Death rates for mothers and newborn babies have increased for the first time in a decade amid growing concerns over patient safety, a report reveals The experts warn failings exposed in their 2024 National State of Patient Safety report must be addressed ‘urgently’ The report said its analysis of the most recent MBRRACE-UK reviews - an audit programme that collects data on the deaths of mothers and babies - and data from the Office for National Statistics ‘provides cause for concern’. Maternal deaths were described as ‘steady’ between 2011 and 2013 and 2017 and 2019, although between 2017 and 2019 and 2020 to 2022, the rate increased from 8.8 to 13.4 deaths per 100,000 It added that ‘addressing patient safety in the NHS is not just a moral obligation but an urgent financial necessity’. ‘We urgently need to address these issues to repair the health service, and provide high-quality care for all patients and their families.’ Melanie Leis, a co-author of the report and director of policy and analysis at the Institute of Global Health Innovation, said: ‘Our analysis paints a worrying picture of patient safety across many areas, making it very difficult to choose specific areas to prioritise.’ James Titcombe, chief executive of the charity Patient Safety Watch, which commissioned the report, said its findings must ‘contribute to urgent and meaningful discussion’ about change to ensure trends are reversed when the data is revisited in 2026.