Professor Julia Sanders reflects on the findings and recommendations of the recent Amos National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation and the Ockenden Review, and considers how evidence from the NPEU can help inform the next steps for maternity care reform.
The article draws attention to NPEU research on women's experiences of maternity care, maternal mortality and caesarean birth rates. It highlights the importance of using robust evidence, alongside genuine partnership with women and families, to support improvements in the safety and equity of maternity services.
Julia also discusses the Amos report's call for radical, whole-system change, including its recommendation for a National Maternity Commissioner.
Professor Julia Sanders is a co-investigator in the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care (NIHR PRU-MNHC) and Professor of Clinical Midwifery at Cardiff University.
Read Julia's article in The Guardian:
Read Julia's thought-provoking piece here: Nothing less than radical whole-system change is required to fix the NHS's maternity services | Julia Sanders | The Guardian
NPEU research highlighted in the article
Find out more about the NPEU and NIHR PRU-MNHC research and evidence referenced in the article:
National Maternity Surveys
- 2024 Survey | National Maternity Surveys
- National Maternity Surveys
- You & Your Baby 2024 report
- You and Your Baby Survey Summary v1.0 - 18-Feb-2026.pdf
- Information for parents | National Maternity Surveys
MBRRACE-UK
Caesarean birth rates