Health Bill: Ministers must show more ambition on maternity safety, say Lib Dems

Ministers have faced mounting criticism from the Liberal Democrats for voting down proposed amendments to the Health Bill designed to enforce strict safety standards across British maternity services.

​The rejected proposals would have established a legally binding duty requiring all maternity units nationwide to achieve a "Good" or "Outstanding" safety rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Additionally, the amendments sought to mandate guaranteed one-to-one midwifery care alongside 24/7 consultant presence in every unit. The government’s dismissal of these measures follows a series of damning inspectorate reports revealing persistent systemic failings, severe staff shortages, and deep regional disparities in NHS maternity care.

​Helen Morgan MP, the Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, condemned the government's decision, emphasising the human toll of current failings.

​“65% of maternity units are unsafe. More women are suffering severe bleeds. More women are suffering major injuries. More women are dying. How long will we continue to accept the unacceptable for mothers and babies?"

​“By rejecting these amendments, the Government has turned its back on a vital opportunity to raise standards and rebuild trust. Safe maternity units should be the bare minimum, not an ambition ministers can simply brush aside."

​"The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for the 1-1 midwifery, 24/7 consultant cover and the repairs to crumbling wards that we need to make Britain the safest place to have a baby. We won’t let this go.”

​Despite voting down the core safety amendments, sustained pressure from the Liberal Democrats did secure a government concession at the dispatch box: a commitment to establish a statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to oversee future reforms.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Liberal Democrats Demand Withdrawal of "Unworkable" EHRC Equalities Code.

Image
The Liberal Democrats have launched a major political challenge against the Government's newly updated equality guidelines, declaring them "not fit for purpose" and warning that the framework severely compromises the safety and dignity of both transgender individuals and cisgender women. ​Following the formal publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) draft updated Code of Practice, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP and the party’s Women and Equalities Spokesperson, Marie Goldman MP, have escalated their opposition. On 30th May 2026, the two issued a joint letter directly to Bridget Phillipson MP, the Minister for Women and Equalities, urging an immediate halt to the guidance. ​" The Liberal Democrats will oppose this guidance."  Marie Goldman MP  ​A Crisis of Clarity for Businesses and Communities ​The newly laid statutory instrument was intended to serve as a comprehensive update to the 2011 handbook, incorpor...
Read more

A Tale of Two Cities: Portsmouth starts 845 homes, while Southampton starts 10.

Image
While these neighbouring cities share a coastline, their approaches to the housing crisis appear to be drifting miles apart. New data highlights a stark contrast in residential development between Liberal Democrat led Portsmouth and Labour run Southampton, with one city surging ahead while the other stalls  ​Portsmouth: A Hub of Growth ​Portsmouth has recently been ranked tenth in the UK for the fastest growth in newly built homes. According to research from Bluefield Realty Group, the city has seen a 55.56% increase in completed homes over the last five years. The momentum is not slowing down; in 2025 alone, work began on 845 new houses, showcasing a proactive approach to urban density and development, whilst ensuring affordability for local people.  ​This growth aligns with the Liberal Democrats' national policy to address the housing crisis by empowering local authorities to build. The party has committed to a national target of 380,000 new homes per year, including 150,000...
Read more

Conservative Chaos in Worcestershire: Badenoch Cracks Down as Broad Alliance Ousts Reform

Image
​In a move that highlights the growing fractures within the Conservative Party, CCHQ has suspended its local leader in Worcestershire after he joined a "rainbow coalition" designed to restore stability to a county mired in Reform UK-led dysfunction. ​The dramatic intervention by Conservative Chairman Kevin Hollinrake, acting under the direction of Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, came just hours after Cllr Adam Kent helped orchestrate a cross-party alliance to remove Reform UK from power. ​A United Front Against Reform Instability ​Worcestershire County Council has been governed by a minority Reform administration since last May, a period defined by what critics describe as "appalling instability." The chaos reached a breaking point last month when Reform ousted its own leader, Jo Monk, replacing her with former Conservative MP Alan Amos. ​Faced with the prospect of another year of Reform-led drama, an unprecedented alliance of Liberal Democrats, ...
Read more