A health leader, Charles Massey, is set to address a conference on Monday regarding the alarming rate at which mothers and babies are suffering harm within the NHS, suggesting that toxic cover-up cultures are normalizing these incidents. This comes at a time when 14 NHS trusts in England are under investigation as part of a national inquiry into maternity and neonatal services. Massey, the General Medical Council’s chief executive, will highlight the issue of trainee doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology being dissuaded from speaking up due to a “tribal” atmosphere within medicine that discourages open communication. He emphasizes that this lack of transparency and accountability leads to a higher risk of patient harm. The national investigation into these issues, led by Valerie Amos, aims to draw lessons from past inquiries to improve NHS care. Alongside the investigation, a maternity and neonatal taskforce, headed by Health Secretary Wes Streeting and comprised of experts and bereaved families, has been established. Streeting’s statement underscores the government’s commitment to this matter, acknowledging the courage of bereaved families and the necessity for change to prevent further avoidable tragedies. Massey further points out the sobering reality that young doctors are making life or death decisions in environments where they fear the consequences of transparency. His speech will be delivered at the Health Service Journal’s patient safety congress in Manchester, emphasizing the urgency for an honest and open culture to protect patient safety, particularly in high-risk areas like maternity care.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/15/mothers-and-babies-at-risk-of-harm-in-toxic-nhs-cover-up-culture-health-leader-to-say
