Baroness Amos to lead national maternity and neonatal investigation

On 14 August 2025, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting announced the appointment of Baroness Valerie Amos to chair the independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care. The investigation aims to drive urgent improvements in the safety and quality of services for women and birthing people.

Baroness Amos’ appointment follows calls from bereaved families for a leader with independence from the NHS. The Government has said this outside perspective will be crucial to ensuring impartiality and trust in the process.

Families affected by loss or harm will play a central role in the investigation. They will help shape the terms of reference and contribute to building the investigation team, ensuring lived experience is embedded throughout the review.

The investigation will begin this summer, with the goal of producing an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025.

Our response

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance welcomes the timeline for this important investigation, particularly the clear intent to deliver results by December 2025. We also appreciate the careful thought given to Baroness Amos' appointment and the decision to place families with lived experience at the heart of the review.

For this investigation to deliver the impact that is so urgently needed, it must consider both mental and physical health. Mental illness is the most common complication of pregnancy and the leading cause of maternal death in the postnatal period. We need a firm commitment that the review will take a holistic approach, reflecting the full range of care and support families require during this time of life.