NO MORE EXCUSES

Led by Make Birth Better

How much more suffering has to happen before this Government listen?

Preventable death and avoidable harm has now been reported in five separate maternity service investigations (2015-2022) and there are more to come. These extreme examples share the same themes we hear in birth trauma stories every day. For parents - the need for more kindness and attentive care. For professionals - the need for more staff and for staff wellness to be taken seriously. Of course there are many many more themes too. 

In response to Donna Ockenden’s Review in March this year the Government committed a “funding boost” of £127 million to ensure safer care. This is an appalling token. Previous expert recommendations have consistently said this needs to be a per year increase of £200-£350 million.  £127 million is only one third of the £350 million needed and it's not even a per year promise. 

Safety is everything when it comes to birth trauma. 8 out of 10 midwives report that they did not have enough staff on their shift to provide a safe service (see here). Of the 193 NHS maternity services in England, 80 are rated as “inadequate” or “requires improvement”. Only two are rated "outstanding" (see here).

This is the tragic truth: despite the hard work of parents and healthcare professionals in the UK, birth trauma is becoming less preventable. These are words we don’t want to speak out loud but they are true. We cannot wait any more. We have to take action. In the words of Donna Ockenden “There are no more excuses.”

Sign our petition if you join our demand that our Secretary of State for Health and Social Care must commit to the full £350 million funding urgently needed for vital improvements in maternity and neonatal services. 

Please sign and share with everyone you know who cares about this. Sharing with others will make this petition reach the numbers it needs. THANK YOU :)

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