Miscarriage UK welcomes today’s publication of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation by Baroness Amos and the opportunity it creates to improve the safety, quality and compassion of maternity care.
Chair of the report, Baroness Valerie Amos, said:
“It is clear to me that the maternity and neonatal system is not set up to deliver consistently safe, high-quality and compassionate care and this must be rectified. It is fragmented, overly complex and too slow to learn and improve.”
Themes from the report around fragmented care, communication, inequalities and listening to women strongly resonate with what we continue to hear from people affected by miscarriage and pregnancy loss. Through our support services, research and community, we regularly hear about experiences of fragmented care pathways, inappropriate environments, poor communication, people feeling unheard, the emotional and mental health impact, and the challenges many face in accessing consistent information and specialist support.
The report also recommends significant reforms, including the creation of a statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner, improved accountability and investigations, new national standards for care, action to address inequalities and a comprehensive National Action Plan due in December 2026.
While there are limited direct references to miscarriage and pre-24-week pregnancy loss within the report, and little recognition of these experiences within the data presented, we believe this now creates an important opportunity for the Government and Department of Health and Social Care to ensure the experiences and needs of those affected by pregnancy loss are meaningfully reflected as the National Action Plan is developed.
Vicki Robinson, Chief Executive of Miscarriage UK, said:
“We welcome today’s review and recognise the deeply distressing experiences shared by women and families, alongside the significant concerns it raises around safety, inequalities, racism and a system that too often leaves people feeling unheard.
“Many of the themes highlighted within the report – fragmented care, poor communication and people not feeling listened to – strongly resonate with what we continue to hear from people affected by miscarriage and pregnancy loss.
“However, this also feels like a missed opportunity to fully consider the whole range of pregnancy and maternity experiences. While there are limited direct references to miscarriage and pre-24-week pregnancy loss, miscarriage affects more than one in five pregnancies and should not continue to sit outside conversations about improving care.
“Our State of the Nation research found that many people continue to experience inadequate follow-up care and unmet mental health needs following pregnancy loss. This reflects a wider pattern where miscarriage can still be minimised and its emotional and physical impact underestimated.
“As the Government develops its National Action Plan, we want to see the experiences and needs of those affected by miscarriage and early pregnancy loss meaningfully recognised and reflected, ensuring our community no longer slips through the cracks between early pregnancy and maternity care.”
Our State of the Nation research into miscarriage care in the UK found that 65% of women did not receive adequate follow-up care, over 68% experienced mental health struggles related to their pregnancy loss, and 42% wanted mental health support but were not offered any.
We are encouraged that Health Secretary, James Murray, says that the Government is ‘not taking anything off the table’. As the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce develops the new National Action Plan, Miscarriage UK is calling for the experiences and needs of those affected by pre-24-week pregnancy loss to be meaningfully reflected, including improved access to specialist early pregnancy care, stronger follow-up and mental health support, compassionate communication and a better understanding of pregnancy loss experiences.
We know that stories and discussions around pregnancy and maternity care can bring up difficult emotions for many people, particularly those affected by pregnancy loss. If today’s news feels difficult, please remember that you do not have to navigate it alone. Our support services are available for anyone who needs emotional support, information or simply someone to talk to.
A link to the full report can be found here.