Concern from committee over maternity review delay

Twelve trusts across the country are being investigated as part of a review into maternity care

Concerns have been raised by a parliamentary select committee about potential delays to a major maternity review.

The Health and Social Care Committee said a reported delay in the process would risk "undermining public confidence".

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, committee chair and Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran said she was worried about the impact on families.

The government said it was "confident" the review would provide an update in December and it was taking "urgent steps" to improve maternity services.

Oxford University Hospitals Trust is one of 12 in the country being investigated as part of a national examination of care.

A letter from the committee to the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are deeply concerned by reports that the independent maternity and neonatal investigation led by Baroness Amos will not publish interim findings this year as previously expected, and that the call for evidence has been delayed from November until January.

"While we recognise the potential impact of industrial action, further delays risk undermining public confidence and perpetuating the very safety concerns the review seeks to address."

Layla Moran MP said she was concerned the voices of mothers and families would not be at the heart of the review

Moran said: "Certainly the call for evidence has been delayed until January, it was meant to be November.

"That means there [are] question marks over whether or not the voices of mothers and families are going to be at the heart of this.

"How can you analyse that in two months and still report in March?

"And what the Royal College of Midwives tell me is actually they know what's going wrong.

"It's funding, it's workforce, retention and recruitment.

"You can just get on with some of this stuff - we don't need another review to work it out."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the government was "confident" Baroness Amos would provide an update in December on what she had heard so far.

They said: "We are committed to striking the right balance between responding with the necessary urgency to improve maternity care and ensuring we have the robust tools and information needed to do so effectively.

"We are taking urgent steps to improve maternity services and these changes from Baroness Amos will further strengthen our ability to deliver meaningful impact."