Women, babies and families across England are set to benefit from safer, higher‑quality NHS care with the creation of a new Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary.
The Government has now finalised the taskforce’s membership, bringing together senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, academics, third sector partners, as well as harmed and bereaved families whose lived experience will directly inform decision‑making.
The taskforce will drive urgent action in response to the independent national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England, led by Baroness Amos, and address longstanding inequalities in outcomes and care. Some of the people that will form the taskforce include:
- Baroness Merron – Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women’s Health and Mental Health
- Duncan Barton – Chief Nursing Officer for England
- Gill Walton – Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives
To ensure the new taskforce reflects the real experiences of those most affected, the Government worked closely with families who have been harmed or bereaved through maternity services. Their insight has shaped the selection process and will continue to guide the taskforce through its work.
Alongside the taskforce announcement, the Government has unlocked £25 million to improve maternity and neonatal safety across NHS Trusts. This includes targeted funding to tackle the leading causes of maternal death, strengthen bereavement support and enhance triage services for women facing unexpected complications.
- £5 million to support the nationwide roll‑out of the Maternal Care Bundle, covering best practice in epilepsy, mental health, haemorrhage and other key areas.
- £9 million across 40 Trusts to improve bereavement facilities, ensuring families who experience baby loss have access to compassionate, private and specialist support spaces.
- £11 million to enhance maternity triage services, including new equipment, more efficient assessment spaces and improved clinical pathways.
With the NHS delivering around 10,000 babies every week, ministers emphasised the importance of making maternity environments safer, more responsive and more supportive.
The Health and Social Care Secretary will chair regular roundtables, with the first meeting scheduled for next week. Membership may be refined later this year when the full investigation report is published in June.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:
“I ordered an independent national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to make sure families harmed by maternity care get the truth and accountability they deserve.
“Baroness Amos will deliver on this vital work this June but to deliver truly meaningful change – so that other families do not face the ordeals too many are already enduring – we must be ready to act swiftly.
“This 17-strong taskforce will start work straight away, so we will be ready to drive improvement from the moment the investigation’s recommendations are published.
“At the same time, we’re continuing to invest millions in schemes that are working to deliver safer and more equitable maternity care to benefit families today.”
The taskforce will also be advised by specialist “expert reference groups” to ensure a diverse range of professional and community voices inform its work.
Since July 2024, the Government has introduced significant measures to strengthen maternity and neonatal care, including:
- £149 million invested to address critical safety risks in maternity and neonatal estates.
- Piloting Martha’s Rule in maternity and neonatal units across 14 Trusts, giving families the right to request a second clinical opinion.
- Rolling out a Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme to strengthen safety and learning across care teams.
- Launching targeted midwife retention initiatives and the Graduate Guarantee, resulting in the recruitment of an extra 802 midwives since December 2024 and bringing the workforce to 30,930 midwives (25,459 FTE) as of December 2025.
- Introducing new national guidance to tackle the leading causes of maternal death, including thrombosis, mental health, epilepsy and haemorrhage.
- Launching programmes to tackle discrimination and improve detection of safety concerns in maternity settings.
The creation of the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce marks a significant escalation in efforts to transform maternity care across England. With lived experience at its core and major investment flowing into frontline services, the Government says it is determined to restore trust, reduce inequalities and ensure every woman and baby receives the safe, compassionate care they deserve.
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