The reports suggested that national Service Development Funding for maternity services would drop from £95m in 2024-25 to just £2m in 2025-26, a move the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) described as ‘utterly shocking'.
The RCM said the move would see the funding made available following Donna Ockenden's report into maternity failings at Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals Trust ‘disappear at the stroke of a pen'. This funding would have allowed for extra posts in services to support enhanced care for complex pregnancies, multiple births or bereavement care and support. All those roles would be at risk, the RCM said.
Gill Walton, RCM chief executive, said: ‘These budget cuts are more than shocking, they will rip the heart out of any moves to improve maternity safety. The Government has taken a wrecking ball to the work that's being done up and down the country to improve maternity safety, something which is desperately needed.
'What they've done is an insult to the women and families who have received care that has fallen short, the same women and families who have campaigned so hard to make maternity safety a priority for successive governments.
‘They are just as insulting to the midwives and wider maternity teams who are working tirelessly to drive safety improvements across maternity services in England.'
In response to the reports, a DHSC spokesperson told Healthcare Management: ‘This is not true. The same level of funding is still being delivered as part of wider ICB allocations, giving local healthcare leaders - who are best placed to decide how to serve their local community - more flexibility.
‘We are clear that too many women are not receiving the safe, personalised and compassionate maternity care they deserve, but through our Plan for Change, this government is determined to change that. This starts with listening to women and families to learn lessons, to improve care and ensure mistakes are not repeated. Working midwives and other staff, we will help trusts to make rapid improvements, and we will also work closely with NHS England to train thousands more midwives to support women throughout their pregnancy and beyond.'
