New data has revealed a devastating increase in the number of women dying during or shortly after pregnancy in the UK, directly contradicting a high-profile government pledge to dramatically improve safety.
A Broken Promise on Maternity Safety
In 2015, the then Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, made a solemn vow to reduce maternal deaths by 50% by 2030, aiming to make the NHS "one of the safest places in the world to have a baby". This target was later brought forward to 2025. However, the latest audit from the MBRRACE-UK research project, led by the University of Oxford, paints a starkly different picture.
The figures show that over the 14 years of Conservative government, the rate of maternal mortality has actually risen. Comparing the periods 2009-11 and 2022-24, there has been a 20% increase in the rate of women dying during pregnancy or up to six weeks after childbirth.
Professor Marian Knight, who leads the MBRRACE-UK programme, stated the rise is "very concerning, especially as pressures on maternity services have not eased".
Deaths from Treatable Causes and Stark Inequalities
Digging deeper into the statistics reveals where the crisis is most acute. While deaths from indirect causes, such as pre-existing conditions worsened by pregnancy, remained largely stable, there was a shocking 52% surge in direct maternal deaths. These are deaths from complications directly linked to pregnancy, including severe bleeding, blood clots, and pre-eclampsia—conditions that are often treatable if identified early.
Dr Kim Thomas, Chief Executive of the Birth Trauma Association, said: "We often hear stories from women of life-threatening conditions being missed... it is clear that something has gone badly wrong in maternity care."
The audit also exposed profound and persistent inequalities:
- Black women face a maternal death rate nearly three times higher than white women.
- Asian women are also at a significantly higher risk than white women.
- Women living in the most deprived areas have a mortality rate almost double that of those in the least deprived areas.
- Women aged 35 and over are nearly twice as likely to die as those aged 25 to 29.
A System Under 'Extreme Pressure'
Health leaders have squarely linked the tragic figures to a maternity system buckling under strain. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) stated women are being failed by services under "extreme pressure".
Clare Livingstone, Head of Professional Policy and Practice at the RCM, called the findings an "absolute tragedy". She highlighted that many deaths are avoidable and blamed a chronic lack of investment and severe workforce shortages. "Midwives are working under relentless pressure and that has a real and demonstrable impact on safety," she added.
The consensus from experts and campaigners is clear: without urgent and significant investment to properly resource NHS maternity services and address staffing gaps, these preventable tragedies and glaring inequalities will continue.
