US EditionNHS to overhaul maternal care in England to tackle pregnancy deaths
New standards require earlier clot-risk and mental health checks, as 257 women died in the two years to 2023 and nearly half were preventable.
- The NHS set new national standards to tackle leading causes of maternal death, introducing earlier risk assessments and routine checks targeting conditions accounting for 52 per cent of deaths.
- Maternal deaths have reached the highest level for 20 years, with 257 women dying in the two years to 2023, and nearly half of these deaths could have been prevented.
- Chief midwifery officer for England Kate Brintworth acknowledged "serious medical problems" are often missed, particularly for Black and Asian women who are three times more likely to die than others.
- Addressing maternity failures, 14 NHS trusts currently face investigations, and hospitals not following national measures by March 2027 will be "held to account" and face interventions.
- New clinical protocols include mental health screenings before and after birth, referrals to maternal medicine centres, and lower escalation thresholds for severe bleeding to ensure timely care for every pregnant woman in England.
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NHS England » NHS overhauls clinical standards to reduce maternal deaths
Every maternity service in England will need to meet new clinical standards, set out by the NHS, to significantly reduce the number of women who die each year during or after pregnancy. All pregnant women will be offered an early risk assessment for venous thromboembolism – blood clots that form in deep veins and are […]
NHS To Overhaul Maternal Care In England To Tackle Pregnancy Deaths
Increasing numbers of women have been reported to be dying during pregnancy or in the weeks after giving birth. According to the latest official data, there were 252 maternal deaths from 2022 to 2024 – 20% higher than the rates from 2009 to 2011. This is the equivalent of 12.8 deaths for every 100,000 women giving birth. NHS England’s chief midwife Kate Brintworth told Sky News that, while improvements were being made, “none of us think care is …
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