Lib Dems call for one-to-one midwife care during childbirth
Liberal Democrats demand one-to-one midwife care as NHS figures reveal severe childbirth injuries in England have reached record levels.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Liberal Democrats call for one-to-one midwife care for every woman in labor
- Severe childbirth tearing and hemorrhage rates in England hit record highs
- Party leader Sir Ed Davey pledges £600m annually for maternity services
- CQC data shows one in 10 women were left alone during late stages of labor
The Liberal Democrats are pressing for dedicated one-to-one midwife care for women during labor, following NHS data analysis indicating that life-altering childbirth injuries and severe blood loss in England have surged to record-breaking levels.
Party analysis of NHS figures revealed that three in every 100 women suffered severe tearing injuries requiring emergency surgery during the first half of this year. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey described the situation as a devastating indictment of current NHS maternity services.
Speaking at the Lib Dem annual conference in Brighton, Davey pledged to allocate £600 million a year to maternity services if his party enters government. He noted that £1.3 billion a year is currently spent on negligence compensation payouts for failing maternity services, arguing that this investment should instead be directed toward prevention.
"Our current maternity staff are run ragged - they're massively overstretched."
Sir Ed Davey
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The Lib Dem proposals include placing a consultant obstetrician on every labor ward around the clock, providing one-to-one midwifery care for every laboring woman, and recruiting an additional 300 consultant midwives. The party also highlighted Care Quality Commission survey data showing that one in 10 women—roughly 54,000 individuals—were left unattended during the final stages of labor or childbirth last year due to severe staff shortages.
Maternity safety within the UK's NHS has remained a critical political battleground following historical scandals, such as the catastrophic failures at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust investigated in 2022. Political proposals focusing on increased staffing ratios and mandatory consultant presence aim to address systemic vulnerabilities that have long compromised maternal care standards.
In response, a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson stated that the government will publish a new national maternity and neonatal action plan later this year, uniting key inquiry recommendations and appointing England's first statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to enforce accountability and safety standards.
Source: BBC Politics
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