UK’s first Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to be appointed

Tuesday 30 Jun 2026 @ 11:17
NHS England

Also published by:: Department of Health and Social Care

New commissioner and extra funding announced to make maternity and neonatal care safer, fairer and more consistent across England.

First ever Commissioner to speak up for women, babies and families
National Action Plan will be published in December to overhaul services and drive long-term change
Additional £41 million investment to improve safety at maternity and neonatal facilities
New standards for maternity triage across the country will end the postcode lottery in care

Families across the country will see their maternity and neonatal care overhauled, as the Government today (Tuesday 30 June) takes urgent steps in response to Baroness Amos’ landmark independent investigation - including the creation of the UK’s first ever Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner.

The new commissioner will provide independent leadership to hold the system to account, drive change and rebuild trust, co-chairing the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce with the Secretary of State. Crucially, the commissioner will ensure the voices of women are always heard by those at the heart of the system.

Baroness Amos examined the experiences of thousands of women, their families and staff, alongside local investigations of 12 trusts, and her report paints a stark picture.

It found a system that is fragmented, overly complex and too slow to learn, that women and families are not being listened to, there is a lack of accountability and answers when things go wrong, and that racism and discrimination are driving inequalities in care. Staff also reported feeling unheard.

The measures announced today will begin the process of turning that around.

A comprehensive National Action Plan will be published in December 2026, setting out priority actions and long-term reform to deliver safer, fairer care. This will be driven by the taskforce, bringing together families, clinicians and other experts with a clear focus on safety, equity and accountability.

Alongside structural reform, the Government is investing a further £41 million to tackle urgent safety risks in maternity and neonatal facilities, building on £145 million already committed since April 2025. This funding will address issues such as fire safety, ventilation issues and outdated infrastructure - creating safer environments for mothers and newborns.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray, said:

For too long women, babies and families have been failed by a system that didn’t listen. Their stories are heart-breaking and demand action.

I am grateful to Baroness Amos for her work on this landmark review, which is a turning point. Appointing the UK’s first ever Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner will drive lasting change and make sure women and families are never ignored again.

For patients, the changes will mean more consistent, responsive care. New national standards for maternity triage will ensure women are assessed quickly, listened to properly and given safe, timely care from the moment they arrive. The aim is clear: to end the postcode lottery and ensure every family receives the same high standard of care.

Further urgent changes include the national rollout of the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme. This will tackle unacceptable inequalities in care and outcomes, particularly for Black and Asian women, those from deprived backgrounds and other marginalised groups.

A total of 1,000 temporary roles will be created to help newly qualified midwives join the NHS, backed by more than £10 million in government funding. The jobs will be for graduates and help prevent a third of student midwives from leaving the profession.

The taskforce will also be looking at all parts of the health system when things go wrong - including regulators - to ensure that accountability is established.

Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England, said:

Too many women, babies and families have been harmed, bereaved or badly let down by maternity care, and too often women and families who raised concerns were not listened to.

This has to change. Women and families must be taken seriously when they say something is wrong, and staff must feel able to speak up when they are worried about safety.

The NHS is determined to address this quickly and we will work with the new Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to achieve this. NHS leaders are also coming together today to set out how immediate actions can be taken across all maternity and neonatal services in England to improve safety and the support and care offered to women and families.

I know recent reports will be deeply worrying for women and families, but please continue to speak to your midwife or maternity team if you have any concerns. They understand and want to make sure you have the care and support you need.

Michelle Welsh MP, Maternity Advisor, said:

I am pleased that a Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner role will be established, and I look forward to seeing a robust appointment process take place.

I want to thank Baroness Amos for her hard and thorough work on this report, as well as those who have contributed to this effort - most importantly the families who have shared their experiences, alongside the organisations that have supported this work.

It is now vital that we work together to deliver meaningful and lasting improvements in maternity care centred around safety and compassion.

Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE, Chair of the Race Equality Engagement Group, said:

The findings highlighted by Baroness Amos’ important report reveal the deeply entrenched racial inequalities that exist in maternity and neonatal services in England.

Racism and discrimination have no place in our health service. The fact that women have received worse care due to their race or background is totally unacceptable and cannot continue. I look forward to the government’s urgent work to now deliver the manifesto commitment to set a target for tackling the maternal mortality gap.

I would also like to place on record my thanks to Baroness Amos for leading this vital and timely report.

These announcements build on significant action the Government has already taken to improve maternity and neonatal services. This includes:

implementing a new programme to reduce the 2 leading causes of avoidable brain injury during labour
delivering a package of initiatives and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death and preterm birth
completed the full rollout of a Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme to develop a culture of safety, learning and support for leads from all maternity and neonatal units
expanding maternal mental health services to support women who experience moderate to severe or complex mental health issues following birth trauma or perinatal loss
extended the baby loss certificate scheme to include all historic losses
rolling out guidance across the NHS to tackle the leading causes of maternal death including thrombosis, mental health, epilepsy and haemorrhage
publishing a maternity and neonatal equalities dashboard to support NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards to identify and address health inequalities while promoting transparency by publishing information on outcomes
extending Martha’s Rule to maternity and neonatal wards in England to ensure every parent can request a rapid review from an independent medical team if a baby or mother’s condition is deteriorating and they are concerned this is not being responded to
ensuring past and present NHS staff can be compelled to provide evidence in the upcoming maternity reviews in Leeds and Sussex, once the Public Office (Accountability) Bill completes its passage through parliament
driving improvements in the regulation of mortuaries – including an audit of over a decade of records to strengthen accountability

Many families have positive experiences of maternity and neonatal care, but tragically there have been too many cases of avoidable harm and tragic loss. Baroness Amos’ investigation explored the reasons why this has continued and what must now change.

It is vital that women who are currently accessing maternity or neonatal care raise any concerns they may have about themselves or their baby with their midwife – they are there to support you.

Channel website: https://www.england.nhs.uk/

Original article link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uks-first-maternity-and-neonatal-commissioner-to-be-appointed

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NHS England

NHS rolls out discreet home-testing kits against cervical cancer for millions of women

25/08/2026 13:10:00

Nearly 4 million women will be offered HPV self-testing kits if they have not attended cervical screening appointments following invitations from the NHS in England.

The NHS is starting to roll out the new self-testing kits from today to encourage more women to complete their potentially lifesaving screening to detect human papillomavirus (HPV), which can increase the risk of cervical cancer.

England’s leading women’s health doctor described the move as a “gamechanger” given that around a third of those eligible aren’t up to date with their cervical screening, and this test provides a more “discreet and convenient option” for them.

The self-testing kit contains a swab, similar to a long cotton bud, which is used to collect a sample from the vagina. The sample is then posted back to the NHS for free, where it is checked for high-risk HPV.

If high-risk HPV is found, individuals will be invited to book a follow-up cervical screening appointment at their GP surgery or sexual health clinic, where a nurse or doctor will take a small sample from the cervix to check for cell changes.

Cervical screening helps prevent cervical cancer by checking for high-risk types of HPV. It is a common virus that can cause changes to cells in the cervix. These changes can usually be treated before cancer develops.

Women who are eligible will start receiving invitations today via the NHS App, text message, email or letter, and once invited they will be able to order a free kit through the NHS App or their NHS online account.

This is the next major step the NHS is taking in its pledge to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, by making it as easy as possible for people to get the lifesaving HPV vaccination and increasing cervical screening attendance.

Dr Sue Mann, National Clinical Director for Women’s Health at NHS England, said: “Screening saves thousands of lives each year by preventing cancers and catching them earlier, but only around two-thirds of women are attending cervical screening appointments when invited by the NHS.

“Offering millions of women an alternative test they can do from the comfort of their own homes will be a gamechanger – making it easier than ever for them to get tested for HPV.

“There are lots of reasons that may stop women from getting their cervical screening – embarrassment, lack of time, or worries about discomfort – and these kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test.

“So, if you’re invited to take part, please order a test – it’s a simple swab you can do at home in minutes.”

Cervical screening appointments with a clinician remain the best way to help prevent cervical cancer, but HPV self-testing is being introduced by the NHS as an additional choice for people who have not taken up previous invitations.

HPV self-testing is an invitation-only offer and is being rolled out in phases across England as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, starting with those aged between 30 and 65, who have not attended cervical screening following previous invitations.

The national rollout comes on the back of the YouScreen trial run by North London cancer alliances in collaboration with NHS England and King’s College London in 2021, which found offering self-testing kits to under-screened women at their GP practice or at home could boost the numbers screened in England by about 400,000 each year.

The UK National Screening Committee used evidence from this trial in its recommendation to roll this out wider.

The latest figures show that 68.8% of eligible women were up to date with their cervical screening – below the NHS England target of 80%. This means around 4 million women in England are not up to date with their routine check-up.

Women aged 24-64 are invited for cervical screening by the NHS every five years, or more frequently if HPV is detected.

Anyone who has been invited for cervical screening can still book an appointment at any time, even if the invitation was sent months or years ago.

It is still important to attend cervical screening appointments if you have been vaccinated against HPV as the vaccine does not provide protection from all types of HPV, so there is a still a small chance of getting cervical cancer.

People who routinely attend for a cervical screening test with a clinician at their GP practice or sexual health clinic should continue to book their appointments as normal.

Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Cervical cancer is preventable – but that’s why we want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for women to keep up with their screening.

“These free self-testing kits will be offered to four million women who are currently behind on their screening to make it easier for as many women as possible to keep themselves healthy and safe.

“This is the future NHS we are building – there for all of us when we need it, and acting as early as possible to stop preventable deaths.”

Cancer Research UK’s Chief Executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: “Cervical screening is a powerful tool that saves lives – it can prevent cervical cancer or spot it at an earlier stage when treatment is more likely to be successful.

“While it’s best for cervical screening to be done by a nurse or doctor, there are barriers that make it challenging for some people to attend. At-home HPV self-testing kits will help more people take part in a way that works for them.

“If people receive their cervical screening or self-testing kit invitation, please consider taking up the offer and encourage loved ones to do the same. Beating cervical cancer means beating it for everyone, and this move brings us closer to that goal.”

Athena Lamnisos, Chief Executive Officer at The Eve Appeal, said: “There are many reasons why those eligible for cervical screening don’t attend.

“Challenges around the type of test it is, limited awareness around HPV and its role in cancer development, as well as practical barriers such as problems around booking and attending an appointment, stop many from going.

“Cervical screening is designed to prevent cervical cancer rather than respond to symptoms, attending a clinic requires people to actively prioritise an appointment among the many competing demands of everyday life.

“Self-testing which can be done at home will be a step-change for many. We have the incredible opportunity to see the back of cervical cancer. How brilliant would that be? But to achieve this, we need to support everyone eligible to attend screening.

“At Eve we welcome the rollout of this programme and its focus on the audiences who need it most in the first stage of the screening pathway. Looking to the future, we hope that self-testing will provide the under-screened and never screened with a new option to help address some of the key barriers.

“This is not a replacement for clinician screening, and we will continue to work with and support those attending their traditional cervical screening, to help make their appointments more comfortable and accessible.

“The NHS has set a 2040 target for eliminating cervical cancer. We hope that rolling out self-testing will help us reach it.”

Dawn Bryant, 62, from Hertfordshire, had cancerous cells found early thanks to NHS cervical screening and feels extremely lucky that it was detected and treated before the cancer progressed any further.

She says cervical screening may have saved her life and is encouraging other women who haven’t had theirs yet or have put it off, to book an appointment or do the at-home HPV test if invited.

“My nan died of cervical cancer when I was only 11 so I know how difficult it can be and how important cervical screening is.

“A screening test when I was 32 found I had severe high-grade cell changes, and after further testing I was told it was cancer.

“I am so lucky it was found at an early stage and could be easily treated. I had some surgery to remove the cells, but I didn’t have to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or anything. It was a very scary time, but who knows what would have happened if I’d delayed having the test.

“Since then, I have been regularly monitored, and had many tests and colposcopies, and although they can be a bit uncomfortable, I would not think twice about having them done again.

“I know lots of women who have put off having screening, and sadly, some who have been diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer after putting it off for years.

“It is so important women go for these check-ups or do the home-testing kit if invited. It doesn’t take very long and if you’re worried or have questions, the staff are excellent and will talk to you and help answer any fears you’ve got.”

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