14 trusts including Leeds and Bradford to be focus of national Maternity investigation
Last updated 15th Sep 2025
The government's revealed the 14 NHS trusts in England which will be examined as part of a national investigation into maternity care failings - including Leeds and Bradford.
Baroness Amos is leading the review into systemic problems in the country's care for mothers and babies.
The health secretary's praised the courage of the bereaved families involved and says their experiences will be at the heart of their questioning.
Professor Mel Pickup, Chief Executive for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We fully support the aim of the investigation, that will have families at its heart, to develop one set of national recommendations to drive improvements in maternity and neonatal services across England.
“We recognise the sense of loss of families across the country that will be taking part in the investigation, who have sadly lost their children or have experienced harm when accessing care. Every year thousands of women give birth in our hospitals and community, and we want each and every one of those women to receive excellent care and have a positive experience with us. In the majority of cases this is happening, but not always and we know that isn’t good enough.
“We are committed to the wellbeing of families using our service and delivering the highest quality of care. we welcome the opportunity of taking part in the national investigation to learn, improve and contribute to broader change.
“Our maternity and neonatal services are led by dedicated and passionate colleagues who work hard to deliver the best possible care. Over the past 24 months the improvements we have made have been recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as well as through other independent external reviews.
“It is important that people continue to come forward for care. If anyone has any concerns please talk to our midwives and maternity teams.”
Dr Magnus Harrison, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:
"We welcome the inclusion of Leeds in the national maternity and neonatal investigation and fully support its focus on improving maternity and neonatal safety across the country.
“We recognise that we have not always delivered the highest quality of care to every family, and we are extremely sorry to the families who have lost their babies or had poor experiences when receiving care in our hospitals. Families will be at the heart of this national investigation, and we are fully supportive of this.
“We want to reassure families in Leeds that we have already taken significant steps to address improvements to our maternity and neonatal services since the publication of our recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports. However, we know there is still much more we can do.
“We look forward to working with other trusts and building on the improvement work which has begun.
“We are committed to working closely with the families who use our services, our staff, NHS England, and the CQC to ensure we provide the highest standards of care in our maternity services.”
Responding to the announcement of the full Terms of Reference for the National Maternity Investigation, and the 14 NHS Trusts that will be investigated, NCT’s Chief Executive, Angela McConville, said:
“Today’s progress is a testament to the courage of bereaved women, parents and families whose voices have shaped this investigation. Their experiences, and those of women and parents who have been harmed or failed by the NHS, must remain at the centre of this process.
“The government’s commitment to listening to women and new parents and addressing inequalities is welcome, but it must work harder to amplify the voices of those most often failed by the system. Research shows that women who die during pregnancy or birth often face a constellation of biases, including racism, poverty, mental health challenges, and domestic abuse. These are deep-rooted, systemic failures that demand urgent action.
“Every year, NCT hears the stories of thousands of new and expectant parents, each with a unique experience of maternity care. Many have been failed by the NHS system, suffering devasting loss and harm, some have been excluded from access to the vital services they need, others have not been listened to or had their concerns dismissed. Some women have had safe, positive and supported pregnancy, birth, and postnatal experiences – and their voices deserve to be heard too.
“We now need clarity on how parents will be meaningfully involved throughout this investigation, especially those from marginalised communities. By listening to the full spectrum of experiences, we can learn from failure, share best practice, and build a maternity, neonatal, and postnatal system that is safer, more personalised, and responsive.
“While this investigation rightly focuses on long-term reform, we must not forget those who are pregnant or have recently given birth today, particularly in the 14 NHS Trusts under investigation. There must be clear plans in place to ensure they feel safe, informed, and supported now.”
While NCT welcomes the progress the government has made, its decision to expand the investigation to 14 NHS trusts, and its commitment to listening deeply to the experiences of parents, there are still areas of concern that must be addressed to ensure the investigation delivers the world class maternity and neonatal system that parents in the UK deserve."