The Story Inside England’s maternity scandal, part two
Feb 26, 2026
Poppy Koronka, a Times health reporter who interviews affected families, and Eleanor Hayward, Times health editor with deep NHS maternity experience. They discuss widespread failures across 12 trusts. They cover racism in care, staffing and postnatal neglect, culture and leadership problems, families’ anger at interim findings, calls for national guidance and whether a statutory inquiry is needed.
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Repeated Calls Ignored Led To Emergency C-Section
- Katie and Rob called their hospital four times when Katie started bleeding but were repeatedly told not to worry until Rob insisted and they rushed in by taxi.
- By arrival Katie had cardiac arrest, underwent emergency C-section, was put in a coma, and their daughter Abigail later died; an inquest found failings in care.
Racism Shapes Maternity Outcomes
- Baroness Amos' interim report highlights pervasive racism and a culture that stereotypes women, impacting pain management and outcomes for Black and Asian mothers.
- Examples include staff calling Asian women "princesses" and assuming Black women are "thick-skinned" and don't need pain relief, worsening disparities.
Stillbirth Classification Can Block Inquests
- The report reveals a perverse system where stillbirths avoid coroner inquests, creating an incentive to classify deaths as stillborn rather than neonatal.
- Families report being told babies were stillborn despite evidence staff attempted CPR, leaving them without inquests and clarity.