This deterioration in safety ratings is attributed partly to a midwife shortage and comes despite efforts to improve NHS maternity care. The Department for Health and Social Care highlighted a £165m annual investment to enhance the maternity workforce but acknowledged more needs to be done.
The CQC's deputy chief executive, Kate Terroni, emphasized the need for immediate action to ensure high-quality care in maternity settings. Personal accounts, like Rachel Tustain's, whose daughter suffered a brain bleed during birth and later died, underline the real-life impacts of these safety issues.
Current ratings show that 10% of maternity units are "inadequate," 40% "require improvement," while 47% are "good," and 3% are "outstanding." The NHS's goal to reduce maternity care fatalities by 50% by 2025 is unlikely to be met.
The government and NHS England are focusing on recruitment and training to improve services, while regions across the UK are committed to delivering high-quality maternity care.