Shocking allegations of racism, bullying and babies misclassified as stillborn uncovered in maternity care report

An interim report into maternity and neonatal services across England has uncovered shocking allegations of racism, bullying, crumbling infrastructure, and births in undignified circumstances.

Some families said that baby deaths were being misclassified to prevent further investigation.

Baroness Amos, who is leading a national investigation into maternity care, said: "Maternity and neonatal services in England are failing too many women, babies, families, and staff."

Investigators spoke to hundreds of harmed families and staff across 12 NHS trusts in England, many of whom shared shocking accounts of their experiences.

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Some families alleged in the report that their babies were designated stillborn instead of dying after birth.

"They felt the system incentivised the recording of deaths as stillbirths as this prevents the case from being investigated by a coroner," the report said.

Jack and Sarah Hawkins, whose daughter Harriet was stillborn, were not part of the Amos investigation, but have fought to get a separate inquiry launched for bereaved and harmed families in Nottingham.

Jack said: "We have met a number of people and heard reports from a number of people whose babies they say were born alive and who the hospital say were born dead.

"And that is a horrific position, a horrific thing to say, and yet of course we believe the victims, not the NHS, who have shown themselves to be sparing with the truth around some of these issues."

Neither supported Baroness Amos' inquiry. Sarah said it "isn't going to change anything".

'There needs to be a public inquiry'

"Families just want accountability and this report is not going to bring accountability," she said.

"There needs to be a statutory public inquiry and some form of justice. Because if your child died in any other circumstance in life, you would get justice. People would be held to account.

"Yet in maternity services, it doesn't happen like that and that is so unfair."

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The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (NMNI) in England was set up by Health Secretary Wes Streeting in June after he met families harmed by poor maternity care.

In her initial report released in December, Ms Amos said "nothing prepared her" for the amount of "unacceptable care" families currently receive.

Investigators have met more than 400 family members and heard from over 8,000 people, including NHS staff.

NHS England has been contacted for comment.

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