Betrayal of pregnant women shames NHS

A BASIC test of a civilised society is that a woman can receive the best care during childbirth. It is unforgivable that too often this country is failing it.

A damning study has found that mothers in Britain are significantly more likely to die during pregnancy, or soon after, than in comparable parts of Europe. Worse, the number is rising sharply.

This is not only a shocking indictment of the care provided by an NHS which gobbles down unjustifiable billions. It is also a shameful betrayal of women at arguably the most vulnerable time of their lives.

True, expectant mothers here are more likely to be older or obese, which increases the mortality risk. But these two factors cannot explain away this scandal.

The truth is, catastrophic failings in maternity units have been responsible for the avoidable death or serious injury of hundreds of women and their babies.

The same threads run through all these outrages: Bullying doctors and midwives, dangerous understaffing, inadequate training, cover-ups of mistakes by hospital management to avoid blame and a failure to listen to patients’ concerns.

Then there is the toxic obsession with natural births in preference to medical interventions such as caesareans. And on top of that is the lack of post-natal care for women at risk of becoming suicidal.

The Government has promised to introduce changes. The health of the mother and child should always come first. Worryingly often, it seems to come last.