Campaigners against care failings at three trusts will help scope national investigation

Three large teaching trusts are highly likely to be included in a government-commissioned “investigation” of NHS maternity and neonatal care after those campaigning for improvements at the organisations were included in the group establishing its terms of reference.    

The government announced on Thursday that Baroness Valerie Amos will lead the previously announced “independent” probe into 10 services across the country.

The announcement said: “The 10 maternity and neonatal units will be decided by Baroness Amos and her team, alongside the terms of reference of the investigation.”

It added that these were “being developed with the families who have experiences of maternity and neonatal care, including those in Leeds, Sussex, Nottingham and more”.

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, and University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust have all been involved in recent maternity and neonatal scandals.

The Department of Health and Social Care said Baroness Amos was selected after bereaved families said they wanted someone with distance from the NHS to lead the probe. The investigation will make recommendations to improve care and safety by looking into systemic problems dating back over 15 years.

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Source: HSJ, 15 August 2025