Bereaved families’ fears over plans for national maternity taskforce

The first details of the government’s new national maternity and neonatal taskforce have emerged in a letter sent to families, reports the New Statesman.

The document confirms the group will be chaired by Wes Streeting MP, with Women’s health minister Baroness Merron as his deputy. The taskforce will have around 15 members in total and be up and running early in the new year. It will be tasked with turning the recommendations from the national maternity and neonatal investigation into a national action plan.

Three of its 15 members will represent families, and each of those voices will be part of a wider “reference group” of 15-20 families. However, some have expressed concerns about the plans as not reflecting feedback sent by bereaved and harmed families back to the government in July.

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Source: The New Statesman (21 November 2025)