NHS Announces New Measures to Address Rising Maternal Deaths in England

New measures aimed at improving maternity safety in England have been announced by NHS England, following a rise in the number of women dying during pregnancy and in the period after birth.

According to the latest official data, 252 women died during pregnancy or up to one year after birth between 2022 and 2024. This represents a 20% increase compared to 2009–2011, equating to 12.8 deaths per 100,000 women giving birth.

NHS England’s Chief Midwife, Kate Brintworth, acknowledged that improvements are needed, stating that “none of us think care is in the right place” and that current standards are “not good enough”.

What has been announced?

A series of national changes are due to be introduced across maternity services in England, with full rollout expected by March 2027. These include:

Earlier risk assessment for blood clots (venous thromboembolism)
All pregnant women will receive an early risk assessment for blood clots before their first antenatal appointment.

-Those identified as high risk will be offered preventative treatment (such as blood thinners) within 72 hours

-Blood clots are currently the leading cause of maternal death

Specialist care for women with epilepsy

-Access to specialist teams for managing epilepsy during pregnancy

-Individual care plans to manage seizures

-Access to pregnancy-safe medications

Routine mental health assessments

-All women will be assessed for their mental health

-Referral to specialist perinatal mental health services where needed

Faster response to postnatal haemorrhage

-Women experiencing significant bleeding after birth will receive more rapid care from specialist obstetric and anaesthetic teams

What are these measures aiming to address?

The NHS has stated that these changes are designed to reduce deaths linked to the leading causes of maternal mortality, including:

-Blood clots

-Cardiac conditions

-Stroke

-Sepsis

-Obstetric haemorrhage

-Pre-eclampsia

-Suicide

Together, these causes account for around 52% of maternal deaths.

Maternal suicide remains a significant concern. Between 2022 and 2024, it was the leading cause of death occurring between six weeks and one year after pregnancy, accounting for 33% of deaths in that period.

Response from campaign groups

The announcement has received criticism from some campaign organisations.

The Maternity Safety Alliance said it was “alarmed” by what it described as a lack of urgency and accountability, arguing that many of the risks being addressed are already well known and have been highlighted repeatedly in previous reports.

They stated that what is needed is “clear leadership, accountability, and evidence of fundamental change”.

Wider context

These measures follow ongoing concerns about maternity safety across the UK, including:

-Rising maternal death rates

-Longstanding recommendations from national reviews

-Workforce pressures and variation in care between NHS Trusts

They also sit alongside a renewed Women’s Health Strategy, in which the Health Secretary has previously described an “appalling culture of medical misogyny” within parts of the healthcare system.

What happens next?

The NHS expects that implementing these measures nationally will lead to a reduction in avoidable deaths, particularly where early identification of risk and timely intervention can make a difference.

Full implementation across England is planned by March 2027, with some measures, such as early blood clot risk assessments, expected to begin sooner.