A Birth Trauma Report was published on 13 May 2024 following The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma’s first ever national inquiry into maternity services in the United Kingdom. The Inquiry was established to investigate the reasons for birth trauma and to develop policy recommendations to reduce the rates.
Information was gathered from over 1300 written submissions from parents about their experiences of traumatic birth, as well as almost 100 from maternity professionals, between 9 January and 20 February 2024. Seven oral evidence sessions also took place in the House of Commons.
The report makes for shocking reading as it reveals that that an estimated one third to go through difficult experiences during the delivery of their babies and approximately 30,000 women a year develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (around 1 in 20).
The Inquiry heard harrowing accounts of stillbirths, premature births, babies born with cerebral palsy caused by oxygen deprivation, and women who had suffered life-changing injuries after childbirth. It was found that in many instances the trauma was caused by mistakes and failures made before and during labour. Several key themes were highlighted including women feeling that they were subjected to interventions that they had not consented to, and many felt that they had not been given enough information to make decisions during birth. It recognised the devastating psychological and physical injuries that birth trauma can have on both mothers and children.
The report called for an overhaul of maternity care in the United Kingdom as well as the need to introduce a base standard in maternity services across the country through the introduction of a maternity improvement strategy. It set out a number of recommendations in an attempt to address problems and create a maternity system that is woman-centred. These recommendations included:
- Recruiting, training and retaining more medical professionals to work in maternity services to ensure safe levels of staffing;
- Providing specialist maternal mental health services across the UK;
- Offering mothers a 6-week post-delivery check with their GP;
- Ensuring staff have sufficient training to reduce the risk of avoidable injuries arising during childbirth;
- A national rollout of standardised post-birth services;
- Ensuring there is better education for mothers on childbirth choices;
- Respecting mothers’ choices about giving birth and their access to pain relief; and
- Providing greater support to fathers during and after delivery.
It is hoped that the publication of the Inquiry will continue to be a public discussion about birth and will result in the immediate practical improvement of maternity services, in turn improving the standard of care provided to mothers and their babies.
In a speech delivered at The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma on 13 May 2024, the Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, commented “I want to make sure that no woman goes through a physical and mental trauma, and while giving birth, that could have been prevented. We can and will do better.”
If you believe that you or your child have suffered avoidable harm as a result of negligent treatment before, during or after birth, please contact our legal experts for a free consultation.
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