New All-Wales Maternity and Neonatal Review Launched to Enhance Safety and Care

A comprehensive assessment of maternity and neonatal services across Wales is set to commence this month, driven by concerns raised in recent independent reviews, particularly those surrounding Swansea Bay University Health Board.

The review, announced by Welsh Health Secretary Jeremy Miles on 15 July, will be independently chaired and aims to build upon findings from previous evaluations, including a deeply impactful family-led report on maternity services at Swansea Bay, as well as aligning with similar assessments underway in England.

The recent independent inquiry into Swansea Bay University Health Board identified significant failures in maternity and neonatal care, prompting the Welsh Government to escalate its services to the second highest level of intervention, level four, ensuring increased monitoring and support. Health Secretary Jeremy Miles emphasised the need for immediate improvements, saying:

“I want to offer a full and unreserved apology on behalf of the Welsh Government to all the women and families who have not received the service or care they deserved and expected. These experiences must never happen again.”

The Health Secretary confirmed that the Welsh Government accepts all 11 recommendations outlined in the independent review, focusing particularly on:

-Swift and decisive remedies for harmed patients through a revised “Putting Things Right” process, launching April 2026.

-Enhanced psychological support pathways for affected families, informed by evaluations of a recently established service in Cardiff.

-Improvements in neonatal critical care, including reassessment and reconfiguration of services, particularly for extremely preterm births.

-Better clinical oversight to ensure high-risk maternity and neonatal services meet national safety standards.

This initiative is further bolstered by the simultaneous publication of the first progress report from the maternity and neonatal safety programme, highlighting steps already taken towards national safety objectives.

During First Minister Questions at the Senedd on the 15th July 2025, Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell underscored the urgent need for psychological support for bereaved parents, citing distressing statistics provided by charity Sands. The Welsh Government has acknowledged this gap, affirming psychological support as a crucial element of the new national assessment.

The independent review and family-led reports both stress significant cultural and systemic shortcomings, including poor communication, inadequate compassionate care, and unsafe staffing levels—issues highlighted previously by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales at Singleton Hospital.

MAMA Academy welcomes this significant national review and urges that parent’s voices remain central to the transformation of maternity services in Wales, ensuring safer pregnancies and compassionate, dignified care for all families.