<2>Amos Maternity Review Exposes Incentivisation of Stillbirths in NHS
<3> Cecilia Patel, a bereaved mother, described her experience to investigators: “I was told by a staff member that my baby’s death was being recorded as a stillbirth so that it wouldn’t have to go to the coroner. I felt like I was being kept in the dark, and it was like they were trying to avoid accountability.”
<3> In a statement, Baroness Amos said: “The review has highlighted the need for a fundamental shift in the way we approach maternity care. We must acknowledge the systemic issues that have led to these tragedies and work together to create a safer, more compassionate system.”
<3> The review found that some NHS trusts are incentivising staff to record baby deaths as stillbirths to avoid scrutiny, with families alleging that this is done to avoid coroners’ investigations.
Maternal mortality rates remain a significant concern globally, with the World Health Organization estimating that 810 women die every day due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.