UK's First Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to Be Appointed

The government has announced the creation of the UK's first ever Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner, alongside £41 million in new safety funding and immediate steps to address racial inequality in maternity care across England. The announcement, made on 30 June 2026, is the government's formal response to a landmark independent investigation led by Baroness Amos.

The investigation examined the experiences of thousands of women, their families and NHS staff, including detailed reviews of 12 hospital trusts. Its findings are stark, a fragmented system that moves too slowly, where women are not listened to, accountability is lacking, and discrimination is driving worse outcomes for some groups.

Baroness Amos's investigation drew on thousands of personal accounts from women and families, as well as in depth reviews at 12 NHS trusts. The picture it paints is consistent and troubling.

The review found that the system is overly complex and fragmented, and that it is too slow to learn from serious failures. Women and families who raised concerns were frequently not listened to. When things went wrong, accountability was unclear and answers were hard to come by.

The review also identified racism and discrimination as drivers of worse care and outcomes, particularly for Black and Asian women, those from deprived areas, and other marginalised groups. Staff, too, reported feeling unheard when they tried to raise safety concerns.

The new commissioner will sit outside government and provide independent oversight of the system. Their role is to drive accountability, champion the voices of women and families, and push for lasting change.

Structurally, the commissioner will co-chair the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce alongside Health Secretary James Murray. The taskforce brings together families, clinicians and experts, and is explicitly focused on safety, equity and accountability.

The taskforce will also examine the behaviour of regulators when things go wrong not only hospitals and NHS trusts.

A National Action Plan is due to be published in December 2026. The government says it will set out priority actions and a long term reform programme. The appointment process for the commissioner has not yet been detailed.

The £41 million announced on 30 June will go directly toward urgent safety improvements at maternity and neonatal facilities, including fire safety, ventilation, and outdated infrastructure. It sits on top of £145 million already committed to maternity services since April 2025.

New national standards for maternity triage will be introduced across England. The aim is to ensure every woman receives a consistent, timely assessment ending what the government described as a postcode lottery in care.

The Perinatal Equity and Anti Discrimination Programme, which targets the gap in outcomes for Black and Asian women and other marginalised groups, will be rolled out nationally. Previously, it operated in selected areas.

On workforce, the government will fund 1,000 temporary roles for newly qualified midwives. The funding, over £10 million is intended to stop a third of student midwives from leaving the profession immediately after graduating, which is a documented problem the government acknowledged in the announcement.