Women and families who have been failed by maternity services will have a stronger voice in shaping safer care, following the appointment of Michelle Welsh MP as the government’s first ever Maternity Advisor.
In the new role, Welsh will work directly with families, ministers, the NHS and national maternity organisations to ensure lived experience drives lasting improvements to maternity care for mothers, babies and families.
She will meet regularly with ministers to provide evidence‑based advice and will engage with families and communities across the country to bring a wide range of voices into the heart of government action. A particular focus will be placed on hearing from communities experiencing the greatest health inequalities.
Welsh brings both personal and professional credibility to the role. As a harmed mother from Nottinghamshire, she has direct experience of the maternity care failures she is now seeking to address at a national level.
In her role as Chair of the All‑Party Parliamentary Group for Maternity, Welsh has spoken to thousands of women and families about their experiences of care. She has been a consistent advocate for improving safety across maternity services, with a strong focus on addressing the stark inequalities faced by Black, Asian and minority women, who continue to experience worse outcomes.
She was also the first elected representative in Nottinghamshire to call for an independent review of maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in 2020.
Alongside her advisory role, Welsh will sit as a member of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, established to drive change following Baroness Amos’ independent investigation into maternity and neonatal care.
She will work closely with Taskforce members to support the government’s response and oversee implementation of the investigation’s recommendations, which are expected to be published in June.
Commenting on her new role, Welsh said:
“I am honoured to have been appointed as the National Maternity Advisor to the Government.
“This role is deeply personal to me. Like far too many women across this country, I know what it feels like to come through childbirth carrying both physical and emotional scars. That experience has strengthened my determination to fight for safer, more compassionate maternity care for every family.
“As National Maternity Advisor, I will work tirelessly to drive forward meaningful reform focused on safer staffing, stronger accountability, listening to women, tackling inequalities and ensuring lessons are learned when failures happen.
“This is about rebuilding trust and creating a maternity system that is not only safer, but kinder too.”
The Taskforce has also published its Terms of Reference, setting out two core responsibilities:
- Developing a national action plan covering the full maternity journey, from pre‑pregnancy through pregnancy, postnatal care and bereavement support
- Holding the NHS to account for delivering measurable improvements in safety, quality and experience for women, babies and families
A central priority will be tackling the inequalities that mean Black and Asian women are significantly more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than white women.
Families and people with lived experience will remain central to the Taskforce’s work. This includes the newly announced Expert Reference Groups, which bring together families, clinicians, charities and academics to directly inform national decision‑making.
James Murray, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, commented:
“Far too many women and families have been let down by maternity services, and that must change.
“Michelle Welsh brings exactly the commitment and expertise this role demands, and I know she will be a powerful champion for the women and families.
“Today marks a significant step forward in our determination to make maternity care safer for every mother and baby in England.”
The appointment builds on significant action already taken since July 2024, including £149 million invested in maternity and neonatal facilities, alongside expanded mental health services and enhanced baby loss support for families.
For NHS leaders, commissioners and policy professionals, the creation of the Maternity Advisor role marks a clear shift towards accountability, transparency and co‑production, with lived experience positioned as a driver of systemic change.
Image credit: iStock
