A NATIONAL investigation into maternity services in the UK will include Yeovil District Hospital, the Government has announced.

In May, facilities at Yeovil closed amid “concerns about the safety of the care for babies and children” following inspections which resulted in a Section 29A warning – that care required “significant improvement”.

Now, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting (Lab, Ilford North) has named 14 hospital trusts that will be looked at as part of an independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services across England – including Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust/Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

The probe will be led by Baroness Valerie Amos and the government said it would “put families at the heart of the work and affected families were asked to provide input to the draft terms of reference of the investigation”.

Those Terms of Reference, the government said, have been developed to “focus on understanding the experiences of affected women and families, identifying lessons learned and driving the improvements needed to ensure high quality and safe maternity and neonatal care across England”.

The investigation comes in response to what the Labour administration said were “systemic problems in maternity and neonatal care dating back over 15 years”.

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Mr Streeting said: “Bereaved families have shown extraordinary courage in coming forward to help inform this rapid national investigation alongside Baroness Amos.

“What they have experienced is devastating, and their strength will help protect other families from enduring what they have been through.

“I know that NHS maternity and neonatal workers want the best for these mothers and babies, and that the vast majority of births are safe and without incident, but I cannot turn a blind eye to failures in the system.

“Every single preventable tragedy is one too many. Harmed and bereaved families will be right at the heart of this investigation to ensure no-one has to suffer like this again.”

He said the investigation will urgently look at a range of services across the entire maternity system, following independent reviews across multiple trusts that have revealed a pattern of similar failings: women’s voices ignored, safety concerns overlooked, and poor leadership creating toxic cultures.

The terms of reference will include understanding the lived experiences of families, reviewing the quality and safety of services, identifying the drivers and impact of inequalities and identifying barriers to making improvements.

Baroness Amos will then deliver a set of national recommendations to improve care, with interim recommendations delivered in December this year.

“It is vital that the voices of mothers and families are at the heart of this investigation from the very beginning,” she said.

“Their experiences – including those of fathers and non-birthing partners – will guide our work and shape the national recommendations we will publish. We will pay particular attention to the inequalities faced by Black and Asian women and by families from marginalised groups, whose voices have too often been overlooked.

“Our aims are to ensure the lived experiences of affected families are fully heard, to conduct and publish 14 local investigations of maternity and neonatal services, and to develop recommendations informed by these that will drive improvements across maternity and neonatal services nationwide.”

READ MORE: WATCH: MP raises Yeovil maternity closure with Prime Minister
READ MORE: More than 200 babies born outside Yeovil since maternity closure

The 14 NHS trusts being investigated are:

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust
East Kent Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust
Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation NHS Trust
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust/Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for England, added: “This independent investigation is a crucial step in driving meaningful change in maternity and neonatal care, and the diverse range of trusts selected – including where previous investigations have taken place to incorporate learnings– will provide valuable insight to help teams across the country improve care for women, babies and families.

“I want to reassure women and families that staff are continuing to work hard to provide the best possible care and want to do everything they can to support them – we would encourage them talk to their midwives and maternity teams if they have any concerns.

“The investigation will run alongside a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce – set up and chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary and made up of a panel of esteemed experts and families – to keep up momentum and deliver change.”

Yeovil MP Adam Dance at a demonstration against the closure of maternity services at the town hospital

After news of Yeovil’s inclusion, MP Adam Dance (Lib Dem, Yeovil) said: “Families in Somerset will understandably be concerned to see Yeovil District Hospital included in this national review of maternity care.

“It is vital that the voices of parents and staff are fully heard, and that lessons are finally acted upon.

“I am pleased that the Health Secretary has listened to the concerns I and others have raised, and that Yeovil has been included in this review.

“This shows just how serious the challenges are, but it also underlines the need for trust management to be open and transparent with the community.

“I welcome the recent commitment to reopen Yeovil’s maternity unit, but families still need clear timelines and stronger communication to rebuild confidence.

“Expectant parents deserve to know that services will be safe, compassionate and reliable when they return. My priority is making sure that happens, and I will continue to hold the Trust and Government to account until it does.”

Maternity services in the town remain closed, with a recent update showing around 200 babies had been born away from Yeovil, instead being delivered in Taunton, Bath, or Dorchester.