Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted in Part
Publish the Amos Review and outline concrete plans to reduce maternity care harm and costs.
Recommendation
The Department’s failure to address problems with maternity care in England has led to avoidable harm and unnecessary costs. Over the last 20 years the cost of settling claims involving infants and children has increased significantly. In 2024–25, costs for claims involving brain injury at birth were £1,554 million, with the total cost of claims for paediatric failings reaching £325 million. Damages awarded in these cases are higher than most clinical negligence claims as they typically include compensation for lifelong health and social care, future lost earnings and any necessary adaptations to accommodation. Court rulings on the eligibility of innovative or novel treatment options have also increased the value of damages awarded in recent years. NHS Resolution settles around 120 to 130 brain injury cases involving children every year but it can take an average of 11-12 years to resolve each claim. In response, NHS Resolution has developed an innovative early notification scheme to provide more timely support to families and improve the speed at which lessons are learned. NHS England told us that it expects the final part of the Amos Review into England’s maternity and neonatal services in 2026, but this does not mean it is waiting to act on its recommendations. 5 recommendation a. The Department and the organisations it funds need to learn lessons from its failure to improve maternity care in England. Where problems arise the Department and the wider NHS should look for systemic failings in care and tackle these problems at their cause. b. The Department should publish the Amos Review within two months alongside its response and set out how it plans to reduce the incidence of harm and the costs of claims in maternity care.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and has established a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce to develop a national action plan based on the Amos Review's recommendations, which will serve as its full response. A timeline for delivering this action plan will be announced once Baroness Amos’ recommendations have been received.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will publish its final report and national recommendations in June 2026. This investigation is independent of government. Prior to publishing a final report and recommendations, Baroness Amos and her team need to evaluate the responses to their recent calls for evidence, which received more than 10,000 responses from women and families and more than 8,500 responses from staff. The investigation also needs to conclude their local reviews of maternity and neonatal services in twelve NHS Trusts, continue meeting with family members, representative groups and system leaders to gather evidence and hear about lived experiences. The government agrees the need to move swiftly to translate the national investigation’s recommendations into action. It has established a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State, which met for the first time on 24 March. The Taskforce will address the investigation’s recommendations by developing a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care. This will serve as the government’s full response to the final report from the national investigation. A timeline for delivering the action plan will be announced once Baroness Amos’ recommendations have been received. The Taskforce will also consider interdependencies with other relevant areas, including delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan, the patient safety landscape, personalised care, and ongoing work on clinical negligence.