Investigation reveals over 1,000 preventable maternal deaths since 2010
An investigation has revealed that over 1,000 maternal deaths have occurred since 2010, many of which were preventable.
Narrative Synthesis
Neutral news article compiled by integrating coverage details from all reporting stations.
An investigation has revealed that more than 1,000 women have died before, during, or shortly after giving birth in the UK since 2010, with around half of those deaths potentially preventable with better care. The findings come ahead of the publication of an independent review of maternal and neonatal deaths in England by Baroness Valerie Amos, which is expected to highlight serious failures in the system.
Between 2010, when austerity began, and 2024, 1,155 pregnant women and new mothers died in the UK. The most common causes of pregnancy-related death remain blood clots, suicide, and haemorrhage, and these have not changed in decades. Despite recent improvements, black women are still more than twice as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes, while Asian women and those from mixed ethnic backgrounds also face a higher risk. Campaigners have described this as racism, whether covert or overt, including microaggressions, harmful stereotypes, and assumptions about pain thresholds.
In 2015, the then health secretary Jeremy Hunt pledged to halve maternal death rates from 2010 levels by last year. Instead, there has been a 57% increase in direct or obstetric pregnancy-related causes, and the vast majority of those deaths are considered preventable.
The investigation highlighted two specific cases. Laura-Jane Seaman died in 2022 at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford two days after giving birth to her fifth child. An inquest found her death was avoidable and contributed to by neglect, with midwives treating her collapse from blood loss as dehydration and multiple failures in monitoring and escalation. Jade Hart died in July 2018 at Bassetlaw Hospital in Worksop after doctors used excessive force pulling on the umbilical cord, causing her uterus to turn inside out and leading to multiple cardiac arrests. A coroner said her death was contributed to by neglect.
The Department of Health and Social Care offered sympathies to bereaved families and pointed to the recent appointment of a new maternity advisor and new guidance on tackling leading causes of maternal death. However, families and campaigners say that despite numerous reviews into maternity scandals at trusts including Nottingham, Shrewsbury and Telford, Morecambe Bay, and East Kent, there is a feeling that not much is changing.
On screen
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Key Claims
Factual or political claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 |
|---|---|
| Black women are more than twice as likely as white women to die from pregnancy-related causes, and Asian women and those from mixed ethnic backgrounds also face a higher risk. | |
| In 2015, then health secretary Jeremy Hunt pledged to halve maternal death rates from 2010 levels by 2025, but there has been a 57% increase in direct or obstetric pregnancy-related causes. | |
| More than 1,000 women died before, during, or shortly after giving birth in the UK between 2010 and 2024, with around half of those deaths potentially preventable with better care. |
Channel Perspectives
Editorial focus, emphasis angles, and key quotes from each reporting news station.
Channel 4 focused on the human stories behind the statistics, using detailed personal accounts of two women who died to illustrate systemic failures. The tone was investigative and critical, highlighting the gap between government pledges and actual outcomes, and emphasising racial disparities and the lack of progress despite multiple reviews.
- “That's 1,000 missing mothers. First words, first steps, first days at school that they will never see.”
- “We have to just call it what it is. Racism, whether it's covert racism, overt racism, whether it's microaggressions, harmful stereotypes and assumptions about the pain threshold of a mother, not believing a mother, not listening, not acting proactively towards a mother that looks like me.”
- “In 2015, Jeremy Hunt, the then health secretary, pledged to halve maternal death rates from 2010 levels. The deadline was last year. Instead, it's gone in the wrong direction.”
Bulletin Timeline
Chronological list of news reports tracked for this story.