In her letter to the Minister Baroness Gillian Merron, committee chair Layla Moran said a delay to the investigation, which was launched in June, risked undermining public confidence and called into question whether evidence submitted by families can be meaningfully analysed before the final report is due to be published in the spring.

The letter called for clarification no later than 26 November on: the revised timetable for the review, including when interim findings and the final report will be published; what will be covered in the December update, and how this will inform the next phase of the investigation; and the impact of delays on the second part of the review, and assurances on how families' evidence will be fully analysed before conclusions are reached.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We are confident Baroness Amos will update in December on what she has heard so far and will continue to explore throughout the remainder of the investigation.

‘We are committed to striking the right balance between responding with the necessary urgency to improve maternity care and ensuring we have the robust tools and information needed to do so effectively. 

‘We are taking urgent steps to improve maternity services and these changes from Baroness Amos will further strengthen our ability to deliver meaningful impact.'