This morning, I joined Good Morning Britain alongside Baroness Valerie Amos to launch the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s public Call for Evidence:
👉 https://www.matneoinv.org.uk/call-for-evidence/
This Call for Evidence exists because so many families refused to accept silence, dismissal or closed doors - and because tens of thousands of you wonderful people supported this petition calling for a national investigation into maternity and neonatal care.
It is important to be clear about what this is - and what it is not.
Statutory reviews matter.
They are about accountability.
They look back, examine failures, assign responsibility and create formal records.
That work is valid and necessary.
But that is not what this is.
This Call for Evidence is about looking forward.
It is about pace.
It is about identifying what must change now to make maternity and neonatal care safer.
For the first time in England, families harmed, bereaved or broken by maternity and neonatal care are being formally invited to speak openly, directly and without gatekeeping - with their lived experience forming the evidence base from which practical, urgent national recommendations will be made.
This is not a consultation.
It is not a managed listening exercise.
It is not institutions marking their own homework.
It is independent.
It is families-first.
And it is designed to drive essential change, quickly.
Crucially, this Call for Evidence should not be seen as England-only learning. If done properly - with transparency, independence and trauma-informed practice - it can and should become a blueprint for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Families across the UK experience harm in the same ways.
They face the same barriers to being heard.
And they deserve the same opportunity to contribute safely to change.
Responding to this Call for Evidence will not be easy. It asks people to revisit the most traumatic moments of their lives. That is why responsible coverage and careful amplification matter so much - not to extract stories, but to ensure families know this opportunity exists and understand why it matters.
I am grateful to Good Morning Britain for handling this moment with seriousness and care.
Families will speak.
Because someone, finally, is listening.
Now we must ensure that listening leads to action - not years from now, but now.
If you are thinking about responding, please know this:
You can take part in whatever way works for you.
The Call for Evidence is available in multiple accessible and language formats.
You can write a little or a lot.
You can respond in one sitting or come back to it.
If words are hard to find, I understand:
- ask a friend or family member to help you
- record yourself and submit that
- or use a tool like ChatGPT to turn a thought-dump into something coherent
- There is no “right” way to do this.
You do not need perfect language.
You do not need a timeline that makes sense.
You do not need to relive everything.
Add as much - or as little - as you can.
Your experience will make a difference.
Your voice matters.
It matters more than you may ever realise.