health
Transparency, standards and a new commissioner
Amos review sets out recommendations for government, but falls short on systemic racism and traumatic births
TL;DR
- Lady Amos' review finds maternity and neonatal services in England are no longer fit for purpose.
- Recommendations aim to improve safety and quality, including automatic rights for families to request independent investigations.
- The report calls for binding national standards for maternity triage, designating it a safety-critical clinical environment.
- A maternity commissioner is proposed to drive accountability and oversee a redesigned system.
- Concerns exist about the report's ability to tackle systemic racism and health inequalities, despite acknowledging disparities.
- The report has been criticized for not directly addressing the impact of traumatic births, such as birth injuries and psychological effects.