Leeds Maternity Families Group release a statement in response to the Health Secretary's introduction of national maternity standards

 

“We welcome the Health Secretary's decision to give the maternity taskforce a clear objective by reintroducing long-overdue national maternity standards, but standards alone are not enough and must be accompanied by a national statutory public inquiry into maternity services.

 

Families need urgent action to make maternity care safer now, and the introduction of national standards must lead to tangible improvements in care. However, only a statutory public inquiry can uncover the true scale of avoidable harm already caused, and why similar failings continue to emerge across NHS Trusts.

 

We are calling on the Health Secretary to listen to bereaved and harmed families and commit to a public inquiry, to expose the truth of the crisis, ensure accountability and deliver lasting change, so that other families do not have to experience the devastation that we have.”