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Will a maternity commissioner tackle Britain’s cultural problems on motherhood?

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Brighton, UK
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The role has yet to be finalised or filled, but the government is already facing criticism over its decision to appoint a maternity commissioner.

The UK government has announced plans to appoint a maternity commissioner following ‘shocking’ failings in maternity care across England. Whoever takes on the new role will be responsible for spearheading an overhaul of the maternity healthcare system after a major review and sustained pressure from the public.

Health Secretary James Murray announced the move in response to a government-commissioned inquiry into maternity care, which found a widespread failure to listen to women, as well as instances of racism and discrimination.

‘The maternity and neonatal system in England is no longer fit to consistently deliver high-quality, compassionate care to every woman and family, and requires urgent reform to put safety at its centre, embed a focus on listening to women and ensure anti-racist practice at every level,’ concluded Valerie Amos, who led the investigation.

A maternity commissioner will have much to prove. While the government has said it will ‘move quickly’ to appoint someone to the role, it has yet to provide a clear timeline for the process.

This lack of clarity has already angered members of the public, particularly women affected by poor maternity care. One of the most prominent figures to have spoken out on their behalf is former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson, who experienced a traumatic birth in 2021.

Thompson said she was ‘infantilised’ throughout the process. Her birth experience and subsequent complications nearly claimed her life twice. She now lives with a colostomy bag, alongside lasting physical and mental health struggles.

During an interview with the BBC, Thompson also pressed the Health Secretary for greater clarity on the timeline for filling the maternity commissioner role.

Others have criticised the plans for placing too much power in the hands of one individual. Emily Barley, whose daughter Beatrice died at Barnsley Hospital in 2022, said the idea of a maternity commissioner was ‘fundamentally dangerous’ for this reason.

Several groups representing families affected by traumatic births have expressed disappointment that the government’s response does not address many of the findings in the Amos report. Injuries caused by forceps deliveries and the impact of post-traumatic stress on women and their partners were not mentioned.

Donna Ockenden, who led a recent investigation into failings in Nottingham, has been tipped for the role, but has suggested she may not accept the job if it is offered to her.

‘Maternity services have not improved in the last two years, and my concern now is, can one person actually fix this system?’ she told Times Radio.

Ockenden also said she welcomed reports such as Amos’s, but argued that they revealed nothing new about the state of maternity care in England.

‘I am disappointed that we’re seeing the same themes over and over again,’ she said. ‘What we need to do is get on and fix the problem.’

One of the key failings identified in Amos’s report was an unwillingness to listen to women and families, which contributed to poor outcomes. The system was described as ‘fragmented, overly complex and too slow to learn and improve’, with inconsistent standards of care across the health service.

Amos recommended an immediate overhaul of the maternity care system, with dedicated midwives available to answer calls and provide timely advice. She also suggested that women should be offered face-to-face appointments when they continue to have concerns.

Appointing a maternity commissioner, while significant, cannot become another symbolic gesture that papers over systemic failings.

One individual cannot transform an overstretched health service, nor can they undo decades of institutional culture without meaningful political backing. Success will ultimately depend less on the title itself than on whether ministers are prepared to implement uncomfortable recommendations and invest significantly in maternity services.

For all the importance of reports such as the one led by Valerie Amos, the greatest test of the maternity commissioner role will not be found in statistics. It will be whether women notice a difference when they walk into a maternity ward.

Families who have spent years campaigning are understandably sceptical of another promise that change is finally on its way. Whoever becomes commissioner will inherit a system that has been scrutinised repeatedly, but has changed far too slowly.

Enjoyed this? Click here for more Gen Z focused change stories.

Senior Remote Writer Brighton, UK

I’m Flo, (She/Her) a Senior Remote Writer at Thred. I recently completed a Masters in Visual Anthropology, and seek to interrogate the ways digital spaces can amplify marginalised voices in the arts and cultural sectors. Follow me on LinkedIn or ping me some feedback via email.

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