Bereaved Mother Calls Maternity Commissioner Role Dangerous

Emily Barley, founder of the Maternity Safety Alliance and a bereaved mother, has stated that the recommendation for a national maternity commissioner in England would be "fundamentally dangerous." Barley, whose daughter Beatrice died in 2022 due to failings at Barnsley hospital, expressed her concerns on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. She believes this recommendation, outlined in the Amos review, will not adequately address the systemic cultural issues within maternity services.

Barley emphasized the urgent need for an overhaul of maternity triage services, comparing them to A&E departments. She called for increased staffing to ensure women's concerns are addressed more promptly. Furthermore, she advocated for families to have the right to request a new, independent investigation if they are dissatisfied with a hospital's internal inquiry into adverse events.

She also criticized the NHS's compensation process for harmed and bereaved families, describing it as "brutal" and "cruel." Barley proposed replacing the current system with a new process that mandates immediate error admission by hospitals. Additionally, she highlighted the necessity for the NHS to actively eradicate racism and discrimination, which she contends are "embedded throughout the maternity and neonatal system."