Justin Madders MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, responding to the publication of The National Maternity Review, said:

“Maternity services in England are currently facing huge challenges and this review contains a number of important recommendations which, if implemented in full, will help ensure services are safer, more personalised and more focused on mental health.

“Expectant mothers should be confident that the NHS is able to give the best possible care to them and their babies at what is one of the most important times in their life.  

“However, all too often maternity units are under-staffed and unable to respond to rising demand. One in four women say they were left alone during labour at a time when they were worried, and half of all maternity units had to close their doors to new mothers at some point last year because of staff shortages. David Cameron promised to recruit 3,000 more midwives some five years ago but that promise was broken and with staff morale in the NHS at an all-time low, the Government will have its work cut out to deliver on these recommendations.

“The review is right to acknowledge that postnatal and perinatal mental health services are underfunded. Despite promising to make these services a priority, Ministers have already admitted that they will only spend a third of what they promised on perinatal mental health this year. Since the Tories came to power specialist mother and baby units have been reduced and too many women are separated from their baby or forced to travel hundreds of miles just to get the specialist help they need.

“Ministers must now take the action this review calls for to ensure that maternity services receive the funding and focus they deserve.”