Baroness Amos report identifies racism and “poor” staff relationships as factors in maternity care failings

Leigh Day’s head of clinical negligence Suzanne White called the findings “unsurprising” and noted that the “same issues” are “highlighted again and again”.  

The review commissioned by Wes Streeting and led by Baroness Amos was focused on six key areas and found:  

• Capacity pressures at “every stage of the maternity journey” which reduced or stopped services, delays to admissions in antenatal wards and delivery units, and community midwives who were moved to work in delivery units to cover staffing gaps. 
• “Poor relationships between team members” and clashing approaches on providing care, as well as racism and bullying behaviour by senior clinicians not being dealt with by management. 
• Racism and discrimination across the system. Community organisations described how this leads to ethnic minority families losing confidence and trust in maternity services. 
• Lack of accountability, transparency and communication when things went wrong. Families reported not being offered to be included in investigations and not being told when investigations had concluded. Families also raised concerns that investigations did not always seem to lead to improvements in care. 
• Maternity and neonatal services being carried out in “outdated and dilapidated” buildings, in some cases compromising dignity and clinical care. 
• Insufficient staffing numbers to provide safe care. 

Partner and head of clinical negligence at Leigh Day Suzanne White said:  

"Baroness Amos' interim report is out today, but its observations offer no surprises. It is wearying to see the same issues highlighted again and again: racism and short staffing, which we have learned from our cases and pointed out for several years now.  What will be done to improve this continuing cycle of poor maternity outcomes whilst mothers and babies are injured and traumatised? 

"The Health Secretary needs to act urgently so that families across the UK can have restored confidence in their maternity services."