Women ‘being failed by underfunded and understaffed’ UK postnatal care

Women in the UK are being failed by a postnatal care system that is “dangerously underfunded and understaffed”, a damning report has warned.

Thousands of new mothers feel unsafe, unsupported and overwhelmed in the weeks and months after giving birth, according to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).

Experts said the report was “deeply troubling” and too many women were “being left without a safety net at one of the most important and vulnerable times of their lives”. Feeling overwhelmed should never be considered a normal part of early parenthood, they added.

The NCT report included a survey of 2,000 new and expectant parents across the UK, including 500 women who were pregnant at the time. Almost a quarter – 24% – said they did not have regular access to NHS staff in the weeks and months after birth.

Nearly nine in 10 (87%) reported feeling overwhelmed at least some of the time, with 22% always feeling overwhelmed. Meanwhile, 62% reported feeling lonely sometimes, with 12% saying they felt lonely all of the time.

More than half (59%) of pregnant women said they worried about their mental health.

The NCT chief executive, Angela McConville, said: “Every major report has shown that the UK’s maternity system is failing to provide safe, compassionate care."

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Source: The Guardian, 19 January 2026