BBK Manifesto 2025: Demand real change from the maternity inquiry

The announcement of a national inquiry into maternity care is a welcome step forward, but it cannot be the end of the conversation. For too long, bereaved families and injured mothers have been left fighting for answers, while systemic failings in maternity care have been allowed to continue.

At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we want this inquiry to lead to real and lasting change, which is why we’ve made it a priority in our 2025 Manifesto for Injured People. The stories we hear from our clients every day show the issues go far deeper than individual bad apple trusts. This is a national crisis.

A pattern of tragedy

The maternity scandals of Shrewsbury and Telford, East Kent, Northwick Park, Morecambe Bay and Nottingham are only the tip of the iceberg. Too many mothers and babies have died or suffered avoidable harm due to medical negligence.

The numbers speak for themselves. Over half of maternity services in England are currently rated as inadequate or needing improvement for safety. This is not a coincidence. It is a symptom of deep-rooted problems in NHS maternity care that the national inquiry must confront.

Concerns about the current inquiry

The announcement of a national investigation is progress, but many bereaved families, clinicians, and campaigners warn it must be more than a rapid review. They are calling for a full statutory public inquiry with the time, powers, and independence to examine systemic failings in depth.

These concerns are not unfounded. The cross-party birth trauma inquiry described maternity services as shockingly poor and made urgent recommendations for reform. Its chair, Theo Clarke MP, has publicly criticised the Government for failing to act on those recommendations.

Past investigations also show the dangers of inaction. The landmark reviews into Shrewsbury and Telford and East Kent exposed appalling failings, but many recommendations have yet to be implemented. In Nottingham, the maternity unit is still rated as requiring improvement more than two years after an independent review began.

Without proper follow through, this national inquiry risks becoming another report that gathers dust rather than a catalyst for real change.

Black maternal health must be prioritised

Any meaningful review must address the shocking racial disparities in maternal outcomes. Research from MBRRACE-UK shows that Black women in the UK are almost four times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than white women. Women from Asian backgrounds are nearly twice as likely to die, and women of mixed ethnicity also face significantly higher risks. These disparities have remained consistent for many years, showing this is a deep-rooted structural problem.

Reports from organisations such as Five X More and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have already identified the causes, from delayed recognition of complications and communication barriers, to bias in the way symptoms are assessed. The Women and Equalities Committee has also published recommendations for change, yet progress remains slow and no national target has been set to end these disparities.

The time for more reviews has passed. The national inquiry must focus on implementing solutions that have already been identified. This includes ensuring equitable access to high-quality care, addressing bias at every level of the maternity services, and holding decision makers accountable for closing the mortality gap. Failure is not an option.

This inquiry must deliver

The national inquiry is not the finish line. It is the starting point for a safer and fairer maternity system.

It must:

• Listen to the voices of women and families with lived experience.
• Hold trusts and individuals accountable for preventable harm.
• Address systemic safety issues across the NHS, not only in isolated trusts.
• Prioritise equity in care, particularly for Black and minority ethnic mothers.
• Be backed by the legal powers and scope of a statutory public inquiry.

The lives of mothers and babies depend on it. We will continue to stand alongside those affected, share their stories, and push for the changes they deserve.

This blog is part of our 2025/26 Manifesto for Injured People. At Bolt Burdon Kemp, we support injured people not only by winning their cases but by driving change. Guided by our clients’ experiences and partnerships with charities across the UK, we are raising awareness of the change we need to see to better support injured people. We will continue working with politicians from all parties to ensure injured people’s needs are not overlooked in Westminster or beyond. You can read our full manifesto here.