Tag: Department of Health and Social Care

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 April 2026.

Government to back firefighters with tailor-made, research-backed health support during and after service.

• Government announces a Firefighters Concordat, focused on health and wellbeing and built in partnership with the profession – to drive improvements in prevention, early diagnosis and support
• Firefighters will receive consistent, regular health checks for every single firefighter in the country, recognising the unique risks they’re exposed to
• Government will back and fund research into the hazards they face to improve our physical and mental health support offer to all firefighters

Recognising the extraordinary bravery of firefighters, this government is backing them with tailor‑made, research‑backed health monitoring to better support their health and wellbeing during and after service.

The potential dangers associated with tackling burning buildings, mounting rescues and attending road traffic incidents are well documented, but there is little research in the UK into the long-term effects of working within the service.

Speaking at the Fire Brigades Union, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting announced today (16 April 2026) that this government will establish a Firefighters Concordat on Health and Wellbeing – an agreement among key organisations to work together to improve firefighters’ health and wellbeing.

Rather than waiting until firefighters become ill, the government is committing to prevention first – this agreement aims to keep firefighters healthier for longer, reduce NHS costs and ensure the fire and rescue service can retain experienced, fit and skilled workers.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

Firefighters run towards danger knowing full well the risks they face during an emergency, but we know very little about how the speed and courage of their work impacts their health.

That is because for too long their concerns have been ignored – but this new agreement promises to change things: to boost funding for research that is well overdue, and work in partnership with firefighters and their unions, alongside employers and fire chiefs, to better protect and support them in the long term.

We cannot continue to ask people to give everything in service of others and then fail them when they need help themselves.

Despite the unique hazards of their profession, the evidence base on firefighter health and wellbeing remains limited. That is why the government is directing new funding for research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to build the evidence base and better support understanding of how best to tackle firefighters’ health risks – from mental health to musculoskeletal health, and from cancer to cardiovascular disease.

There will be a specific focus on underrepresented groups in the profession, including women, who have too often had to do their jobs in kit and protective equipment that was not designed for them.

This agreement – a Firefighters Concordat on Health and Wellbeing – builds on commitments made in the 10 Year Health Plan, which will also raise awareness of the NHS services that could most benefit and support firefighters as well as better information on how they can access them at times that work best for them.

The agreement is part of our work with the Ministerial Advisory Group on Fire and Rescue Reform.

National Fire Chiefs Council Chair, Phil Garrigan, said:

Firefighter health and wellbeing is a long‑standing priority for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and we welcome continued recognition of the unique risks firefighters face through their work.

Firefighters’ work sees them encounter hazardous environments and harmful contaminants, often with long‑term consequences that may only become apparent years down the line. A shared, co-ordinated approach across employers, representative bodies, health services and partners is essential if those risks are to be understood, reduced and properly monitored.

We have been clear that prevention, early intervention and consistent standards are key. Work to strengthen contamination controls, improve facilities and enhance health monitoring must be informed by the best available evidence and applied consistently across all fire and rescue services.

Supporting further research and building a stronger evidence base will be vital to improving understanding of occupational risk and ensuring firefighters receive appropriate, timely support throughout their careers. NFCC will continue to work constructively with partners across the sector, including through the ministerial advisory group, to advance firefighter health and wellbeing.

Those who protect our communities deserve the highest possible standards of care and protection in return.

Significant progress has already been made to reduce risks on the job, including improvements to health and safety practices, protective equipment, breathing apparatus and decontamination standards.

But prevention must go further – supporting firefighters’ long-term health and wellbeing, including:

• cardiovascular health
• musculoskeletal conditions
• mental wellbeing
• awareness of cancer risks

The concordat will send a clear message that firefighter health matters, both during service and beyond. By setting out shared expectations, building on best practice and evidence, it will provide a mechanism for working in partnership to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.

Building on commitments in our 10 Year Health Plan, the agreement will raise awareness of the NHS services that could most benefit and support firefighters – like mental health support, cancer screening and musculoskeletal care – and how they can access them at times that work best for them. Firefighter occupation will be recorded in NHS records so doctors can make better-informed decisions.

Building Safety Minister, Samantha Dixon, said:

Behind every emergency response is a person who puts themselves in harm’s way to protect the lives of others time and time again. This partnership is our commitment to them.

It’s a serious, long-term promise to understand the risks they take and make sure every firefighter gets the health support they deserve – during their career and beyond.

I’ll be working closely with firefighters, unions, employers, chief fire officers and health partners to make that a reality.

Steve Wright, General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union, said:

The commitment from the Health Secretary to increase health monitoring for firefighters is a very welcome and important step forward.

It reflects the constructive work that has taken place between the union and government, and shows what can be achieved when firefighters’ voices are properly represented.

Our members put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public, often in extremely challenging and dangerous conditions. It is right that their health and safety is recognised and taken seriously.

Today’s commitment is an important milestone, and we are pleased to see this progress being made.

The Firefighters Concordat on Health and Wellbeing will be delivered through a working group established under the Ministerial Advisory Group on Fire and Rescue Reform, bringing together the government, fire and rescue services, employers and representative bodies to deliver a comprehensive programme of improvements, including working to establish monitoring to better assess firefighter health and better spot risks.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 April 2026.

Government invests £237 million to expand Community Diagnostic Centres across England.

• Patients to get quicker checks, tests and scans closer to home as government invests £237 million in new Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs)
• Four CDCs will open, 17 will be expanded, and 15 will receive enhancements to boost diagnostic capacity and get patients seen quicker.
• NHS in England carried out record 29 million diagnostic tests in 2025 thanks to government modernisation and investment

Patients across England will benefit from faster and more convenient tests, checks and scans after the government today announced new investment in 36 new and expanded Community Diagnostic Centres.

The 36 centres, backed by a £237 million government investment, will significantly boost NHS diagnostic capacity and deliver more care in local communities. 

The funding is part of the extra £26 billion a year this government is investing in the NHS, which has already helped the NHS in England carry out a record 29 million tests and scans in England last year.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

Thanks to this government’s investment and modernisation, the NHS delivered a record number of tests and scans last year. But there’s still a long way to go before we’re catching disease on time.

I was one of the lucky ones – my kidney cancer was caught early, and today I’m living cancer-free. But it shouldn’t be a question of luck. The NHS should be there for all of us when we need it, catching illness earlier so we can treat it faster.

As part of the record investment we are making in the NHS’s recovery, these new CDCs are part of the biggest expansion in NHS diagnostics in a generation – continuing the progress we’re making and helping save lives.

We’re not just investing in more, but delivering differently. The NHS should fit around people’s lives, not require patients to fit their lives around the NHS. Community Diagnostic Centres mean patients can get tests, checks and scans while they’re doing their shopping on the weekend or on the way to pick up the kids from school – without travelling across town to a hospital.

This is part of the extra £26 billion the government is investing in a new, modern NHS that is fit for the future.

Professor Stella Vig, National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England, said:

We’re making it easier to access care, and our network of Community Diagnostic Centres deliver important diagnostic tests nearer to people’s homes, with new, expanded or enhanced centres available to patients across England.

This expansion means even more patients can have vital checks like MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds in a convenient location at a time that suits them, supporting the NHS’s drive to bring down waiting times even further.

This government’s investment in and modernisation of the health service has led it to carry out record levels of diagnostics.

In 2025, the NHS in England carried out a record number of key diagnostic tests – almost 30 million – and has carried out an additional 3.5 million tests in the first 18 months of this government compared to the 18 months prior to July 2024.

Today’s investment will accelerate this progress even further. 

Four new CDCs, all equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, will open in Gorton, Luton, Boston and Bideford during 2026/27. 

A further 32 centres will be expanded and improved with new scanning equipment, outpatient clinic space and additional testing facilities. 

Of these,17 will be physically expanded with new rooms and state-of-the-art scanning and diagnostic equipment – such as MRI, CT and ultrasound scanners – significantly increasing the range and volume of tests each centre can offer.

A further 15 will receive targeted enhancements, adding specialist kit, new clinic rooms or additional services such as audiology, ophthalmology and respiratory care to existing facilities.

Together, these upgrades will mean patients can access a greater range of tests at their local centre, reducing the need to travel to hospital. 

These upgrades will start benefiting patients as early as this year. 

Rory Deighton, acute care director at The NHS Alliance, said:

This is a welcome investment in expanding diagnostic capacity through new community diagnostic centres (CDCs), helping patients access tests, checks and scans more quickly and closer to home.

NHS leaders know that CDCs can improve efficiency, cut waiting times and ease pressure on hospitals.

Opening new CDCs is a clear example of how capital investment in the NHS can speed up diagnosis and treatment. A decade of underinvestment in capital has left the health service struggling with outdated buildings and too few modern diagnostic machines. Capital funding is essential if the NHS is to buy the scanners and equipment needed to make it fit for the future.

Dr Bernie Croal, Royal College of Pathologists’ President, said:

This additional investment is greatly appreciated. Pathology services form an integral component of Community Diagnostic Centres. From monitoring heart disease to checking kidney function or diagnosing diabetes, the centres bring diagnosis and treatment into community settings. These centres are also instrumental in tackling health inequalities, delivering improved access to diagnostic testing, reduced waiting times and earlier diagnosis for patients.

Community Diagnostic Centres are local hubs that provide patients with access to a wide range of tests, including MRIs, CT scans and ultrasounds.

CDCs are located in convenient community settings – from high streets, shopping centres, and retail parks to leisure centres – and many are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week, so patients can access tests closer to where they live, without needing to travel to hospital.

Background: 

·       There are currently 170 CDCs in operation across England. Four new ones will open, and 32 are being expanded and improved.  

·       108 CDCs currently operate for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Please find a list of new, refurbished expanded and enhanced CDCs below. 

New (four) 

·       Gorton (Manchester) 

·       Luton 

·       Bideford 

·       Boston 

Expanded (17) 

·       Bridgwater 

·       Broad Marsh (Nottingham) 

·       Exeter 

·       Eltham 

·       Hull and East Riding 

·       Ipswich 

·       Isle of Wight 

·       Leeds Seacroft 

·       Metrocentre, Gateshead 

·       North Bedfordshire 

·       Plymouth 

·       Stoke-on-Trent 

·       Tees Valley 

·       Walton Hospital (Chesterfield) 

·       Warwickshire North CDC (Nuneaton) 

·       Wembley 

·       West Swindon 

Enhanced (15) 

·       Andover 

·       Buckland Community Hospital (Dover) 

·       Cannock Chase 

·       Clacton 

·       Ely 

·       Florence Nightingale (Derby) 

·       Grantham 

·       Milford 

·       Northgate (Great Yarmouth) –  

·       Paddington (Liverpool) 

·       Redcar 

·       Southlands (West Sussex) 

·       West Essex 

·       West Kent 

·       Whitworth Hospital CDC (Matlock) 

Additional quotes:

Kieran Winterburn, Alzheimer’s Society’s Head of National Influencing, said:

Alzheimer’s Society backs the UK Government’s investment to expand and strengthen Community Diagnostic Centres across the country, which presents an important opportunity to improve access to a timely diagnosis. It is essential people with dementia benefit fully from this expansion.

More than a third of people living with dementia in England have not received a diagnosis. Without one, people are unable to access the support, care and treatment they need, which can increase the risk of avoidable crises and unnecessary hospital admissions.

Dementia remains the UK’s biggest killer, and while the science is flying and new ways to diagnose dementia are emerging, there is more to do to ensure the UK makes the most of these advances. Other countries, including Italy, Germany and Spain, are already offering wider access to biomarker testing, and we now have a real opportunity in the UK to accelerate progress here too.

That’s why it is vital the Government’s upcoming Modern Service Framework for Dementia and Frailty places a strong and sustained emphasis on improving diagnosis.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 11 April 2026.

NHS deploys specialist teams and expands urgent care services to tackle corridor care, cut waits and ease A&E pressure, targeting worst-affected trusts.

• Bespoke plans being drafted in Trusts with highest rates of corridor care – bringing the best of the NHS to bear on some of the country’s worst offenders.
• Specialist teams working with Trusts to help meet government target of ending corridor care by the end of this Parliament.
• Move comes alongside confirmation of 40 new and expanded same day emergency care and urgent care centres to ease pressure on busy A&Es.

NHS leaders in trusts with the highest levels of corridor care are getting specialised and tailored support as part of plans to eradicate corridor care by the end of this Parliament.

Expert teams are being deployed to the most affected hospitals, providing bespoke clinical support to leadership staff, as early data shows the majority of corridor care is concentrated in a small number of NHS trusts.

The Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) team are supporting leaders in the most affected hospitals to learn from those NHS trusts which have already made significant inroads into reducing corridor care this year – all at a time when significant progress is being made across urgent and emergency care, including the shortest A&E waiting times in four years and ambulance response times the fastest for half a decade despite record demand.

The specialist GIRFT teams provide tailored support to each hospital – including identifying how to improve discharge and flow, helping trusts to better understand their own data so they can improve predicting when surges in demand may appear and supporting clinical leaders in improved decision making.

Alongside introducing a new, measurable definition of corridor care, the targeted support is the latest in a series of steps the government is taking to drive urgent improvements and show it is serious about delivering for patients.

To further tackle pressures in busy hospital departments, the government can now confirm the locations for 40 new and expanded urgent care sites across England.

The programme, backed by £215.5 million, includes 10 new urgent treatment centres (UTCs), four expanded UTCs, five new same day emergency care (SDEC) services and 21 expanded SDECs, providing a significant increase in frontline capacity.

This will help ease pressure on A&E departments by ensuring more patients are treated in the right setting. Reducing waiting times and improving patient flow through hospitals to tackle corridor care.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

For too long, the normalisation of corridor care has been baked into our NHS – it’s unacceptable, undignified and exactly why this government is shifting the dial for patients and staff.

We’re sending in specialist teams of experts to identify the causes in some of the worst offending trusts and swiftly rectify the problems they find.

That, plus new and expanded urgent care centres will mean patients are treated more quickly and in the right place, while easing pressure on busy A&Es to care for the most serious cases.

We are cutting waiting times and moving away from unacceptable corridor care, building an NHS that treats patients with dignity.

After the NHS performed significantly better this winter, we are going further to strengthen services and build a system fit for the future, backed by record investment. 

Despite corridor care continuing to affect a number of NHS hospitals, there are already green shoots of recovery. For example, at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, where corridors are now clear of patients that were full during the peak of winter, as a result of improving flow and stronger working between Urgent and Primary Care Services.

A new initial assessment process was introduced, reducing the waiting times by 37 minutes and increasing access to a senior decision makers to ensure patients are being seen in the right place. The frailty Same Day Emergency Care Centre is also helping reduce the number of older patients being cared for in corridors, with multi-disciplinary teams focused on offering rapid, comprehensive assessment and intensive support so patients leave hospital as quickly and safely as possible.

The GIRFT team are making progress in emergency departments across the country, identifying the issues creating blockages and acting swiftly to rectify them:

• Hull: reduced ambulance handover delays by 27% and cut 12-hour waits by 47% – both of which have contributed to patients needing to spend less time on corridors and being treated more quickly. Ambulance colleagues were key to enabling this reduction in delays working closely with their A&E partners to ensure the right patients were getting the right care when needed.
• Royal Blackburn (East Lancs): the main corridor has been cleared of patients, with an 18% reduction in 12-hour waits. A key part of this successful approach was senior leaders including Medical Director and Chief Nurse taking responsibility over how to prioritise those patients who should be discharged home so that patients in A&E who needed hospital care could be moved onto wards.
• Blackpool: significant inroads to tackle corridor care have been made, with a 43% cut in 12-hour waits and reductions in their patient’s length of stay and those waiting for discharge. This was achieved by executive members of the trust being present on the A&E floor , better use of data to predict busiest periods and better prepare alongside a new admission process through a 24 hour Medical Assessment Unit with patients avoiding A&E entirely.

NHS England published clear a definition of corridor care for the first time last month to allow trusts to begin collecting data, which will be published from May.

It has also outlined its ‘model emergency department’ – a blueprint for how services should operate from this year. This will involve more assessments and triage by senior clinicians earlier, allowing patients to be cared for away from busy A&Es where appropriate. 

Alongside this, to tackle discharge delays, we are joining up NHS and social care through Neighbourhood Health Teams - so more people can get the care they need at home – and backing adult social care with a £4.6 billion funding boost.  

Professor Tim Briggs, NHS England’s national director for clinical improvement, elective and UEC recovery, and Chair of the GIRFT programme, said:

We’re working hard to support the trusts facing the biggest challenges with patient flow and we’re seeing some good early evidence of reductions in corridor care for patients.

We have worked alongside these trusts to produce guidance and standards, as well as providing hands-on support, which will help them significantly reduce corridor care. Our focus over the next six months is to take what we’ve learned and cascade it across the whole NHS, so we can improve care for patients and eliminate this issue once and for all.

Urgent treatment centres treat minor illnesses and injuries such as sprains, cuts and infections, with walk-in appointments available.

Same day emergency care services provide rapid assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients with urgent but stable conditions – avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.

Some of the new and expanded services will open later this year, further strengthening NHS capacity ahead of the winter. 

Dr Ragit Varia, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine (SAM), said: 

We welcome this initiative and back targeted action in those Trusts experiencing the greatest levels of corridor care, particularly where this involves practical support, shared learning and stronger system leadership.

Corridor care has unfortunately become commonplace and is unacceptable for both patients and staff, so we are pleased to see further action being taken as opposed to simply redefining the corridor. 

SAM has been increasingly concerned that a definition which is open to interpretation risks encouraging ‘gamification’ rather than genuine improvement, which is why more active intervention is necessary. 

The expansion of urgent treatment centres and appropriate use of same day emergency care as an admissions avoidance service also has the potential to make a meaningful difference.

Chris McCann, Acting Chief Executive of Healthwatch England said: 

We welcome the support that’s being given by specialist teams to trusts facing acute corridor care pressures.  

We hope this will address the evidence we shared, along with nursing leaders, of distressing patient and staff experiences earlier this year. 

Even one case of corridor care is one too many. It is vital that every NHS trust in England commits to preventing or ending corridor care, and that the public can see where progress is being made. The new, regular data due to be published from next month about the number of corridor care cases in every hospital is therefore welcome. 

As new urgent care sites are rolled out, it will also be important for the NHS to make local communities aware of the most appropriate place to visit when they have an urgent care need.

Background

• The full list of new and expanded UTCs and SDECs can be found below: 

New UTCs

Region	Trust	Site
Midlands	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	Heartlands Hospital
Midlands	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
Midlands	University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust	Good Hope Hospital
SW	Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust	Salisbury District Hospital
Midlands	University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust	Leicester Royal Infirmary
Midlands	Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust	Northampton General Hospital
Midlands	University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust	The Royal Stoke University Hospital
London	Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust	North Middlesex Hospital
SE	University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust	Southampton General Hospital
SE	Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Royal Hampshire County Hospital

Expanded UTCs

NW	Stockport NHS Foundation Trust	Stockport
SW	Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Dorset County Hospital
Midlands	Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust	Queen’s Medical Centre
SE	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital

New SDECs

NEY	Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Barnsley District General Hospital
NW	Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust
SE	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital
SE	Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	Royal Surrey County Hospital
SE	University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust	Southampton General Hospital

Expanded SDECs

London	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust	Charing Cross Hospital
London	Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	West Middlesex University Hospital
London	Chelsea And Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust	West Middlesex University Hospital
Midlands	United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust	Lincoln County Hospital
NEY	North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS FT	Cumberland Infirmary
NEY	Doncaster And Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHSFT	Doncaster Royal Infirmary
NEY	Harrogate And District NHS Foundation Trust	Harrogate District Hospital
NW	Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust	Bryn
SE	Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust	Abingdon Community Hospital
SE	Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust	Wexham Park Hospital
SW	Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust	St Austell Community Hospital
SW	University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust	Derriford Hospital
SW	Torbay And South Devon NHS Foundation Trust	Torbay District General Hospital
NEY	Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust	MYHT
SE	Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust	Royal Berkshire Hospital
NEY	The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS FT	Royal Victoria Infirmary
NEY	Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	Hull Royal Infirmary
SW	Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust	Northern site
SE	Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust	Frimley Park
NEY	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust	Northern General Hospital
SE	East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust	William Harvey Ho

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 April 2026.

Boost for paramedics as over 1,100 new or replacement ambulances rolled out nationwide.

1,141 new or replacement ambulances delivered across England between April 2025 and March 2026 – the highest annual total on record
Majority of vehicles replacing older fleet, improving reliability and keeping more ambulances on the road
Modern ambulances equipped with modern technology, improving protection for patients and staff while supporting paramedics to deliver urgent care more effectively
A record number of new and replacement ambulances have been delivered to NHS Trusts across England over the past year, boosting frontline capacity and helping paramedics respond to patients faster.

New data shows that a total of 1,141 new or replacement Double Crewed Ambulances (DCAs) were delivered to NHS ambulance Trusts between April 2025 and March 2026.

Funded through a combination of national investment and local funding, this marks the highest number of replacement ambulances delivered in a single year since records began.

The majority of the 1,141 vehicles replace older ambulances, ensuring patients and staff benefit from a modern, reliable fleet. The remainder of the new vehicles will provide additional fleet capacity, further supporting services under pressure.

Health Minister, Zubir Ahmed said:

By modernising the NHS fleet, our hardworking paramedics are equipped with all the tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively, while ensuring patients receive the highest possible standard of care.

Replacing older vehicles with state-of-the-art ambulances means we are not only improving reliability and reducing downtime, but crucially helping more crews stay on the road and respond to emergencies.

These vehicles are equipped with the technology to better protect staff and support faster, more effective treatment. This is a vital step in ensuring the NHS can continue to deliver world-class care for patients when they need it most.

Dr Fenella Wrigley, National Medical Adviser, Ambulance, NHSE said:

New and replacement ambulances are crucial in providing care for patients, whether taking care to the patient home or conveying a patient to an emergency department.

Reliable, modern, well-equipped ambulances allow emergency teams can stay out on the road and do what they do best, responding to patients quickly and ensuring they get the care they need.

The new Double Crewed Ambulances are equipped with the modern technology and enhanced safety features, helping protect patients and staff while enabling paramedics to deliver high-quality pre-hospital care.

Modern ambulances are more reliable and less likely to require repairs, reducing the amount of time vehicles spend off the road. This means more ambulances are available to respond to 999 calls, helping cut waiting times and improve patient outcomes.

The rollout forms part of wider action to improve urgent and emergency care services, including improving flow through hospitals, improving delays to discharge through better join up with social care, putting more power in the hands of local leaders and improving strategic leadership.

Anna Parry, Managing Director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) said:

Delivering more than 1,100 new and replacement ambulances in a single year is a great achievement by NHS ambulance services in collaboration with DHSC and NHSE, and a genuine boost for patients and our people. Replacing older vehicles with modern, better‑equipped ambulances means greater reliability, fewer breakdowns and more time on the road where they are needed most.

For our crews, these vehicles make a tangible difference. The enhanced safety features and improved working environment support paramedics and other clinicians to deliver high‑quality care under intense pressure, and they help our people feel safer and better supported on shift.

This level of investment is essential as ambulance services continue to face sustained demand. A modern, resilient fleet is fundamental to improving response times and ensuring patients receive timely, safe care wherever they are when it is needed. We welcome this record year of delivery and look forward to continued progress in strengthening ambulance services across the country.

This winter, the NHS has seen a significant improvement in performance despite record demand, with Category 2 response times, including for strokes and heart attacks quicker than they have been for half a decade.

Waiting times are also at their lowest in A&E for almost half a decade, thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, better planning and modernisation.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 2 April 2026.

New partnership accelerates NHS patients’ access to new medicines and will see UK benefit from greater life sciences industry investment.

• NHS patients will get improved access to life-changing treatments as a result of medicines pricing changes — 2 new cancer medicines already recommended under the updated approach
• The UK is the first country in the world to secure commitment to 0% tariffs on pharmaceutical exports to the US
• In a boost to economic growth, the UK will benefit from greater life sciences industry investment and highly skilled manufacturing jobs will be safeguarded

Thousands of NHS patients will get improved access to life-changing treatments, after the government today agreed the full text of its landmark US-UK pharmaceutical partnership. 

UK pharmaceutical exports to the US — worth at least £5 billion a year — will enter the United States completely tariff free, for at least 3 years. This makes the UK the first country in the world to secure 0% tariffs on pharmaceutical exports to the US.  

The partnership also accelerates NHS patients’ access to new medicines. Under the partnership, pharmaceutical companies have stronger incentives to launch innovative treatments in the UK, meaning patients can benefit from new cancer therapies, rare disease treatments, and other breakthrough medicines sooner — without waiting years after they become available elsewhere. 

The partnership is a win for British patients, British businesses and the British economy. First announced in December, the partnership protects a UK pharmaceutical industry that added £28.5 billion to the UK economy in 2025, employs over 50,000 people in highly skilled, well-paid jobs, and exported almost £21 billion in pharmaceutical products worldwide last year.  

UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said: 

Thanks to this partnership, patients right across the NHS will benefit from access to life changing new medicines that they previously would have been denied.  

Not only this, but as the first country in the world to benefit from a zero percent tariff on pharmaceuticals to the US, Britain’s life sciences sector will be further boosted. 

By encouraging greater investment, this partnership will enable new medicines to be developed in the UK, helping more people to live healthier, longer lives, while creating high-skilled jobs across the UK.

On 31 March 2026, changes were made to the way that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates medicines, this means that some treatments that deliver significant health improvements but might previously have been turned down on cost grounds alone, will now be approved. 

These changes respond directly to longstanding calls from patient groups, recognising that the cost-effectiveness threshold NICE uses has not been updated in over 2 decades. The updated threshold will therefore ensure that NICE is able to continue its world leading approach to assessing drugs and treatments, reflecting the huge changes in the economic, commercial and healthcare environment that we operate in. 

The update to the NICE cost effectiveness threshold has already made a direct difference for NHS patients. Two medicines have already been recommended by NICE under the new threshold, giving patients immediate accessing to life-changing medicines — including a brain cancer drug for patients as young as 12 and a last-resort treatment for patients with a rare form of stomach cancer who had already exhausted other options. NHS patients in England will be able to access these through the health service, thanks to the new thresholds. 

Dr Karen Noble, Director of Research, Policy and Innovation at Brain Tumour Research, said:   

The announcement that NHS patients will gain improved access to life-changing treatments as a result of the medicines pricing change is a welcome step forward for the brain tumour community. We are already seeing the impact of this shift, with vorasidenib – the first new treatment for adult brain tumours in the UK for 2 decades – now available to eligible patients on the NHS. We are hopeful that this will unlock further innovative treatments and ensure more promising drugs clear the threshold for approval, opening up new opportunities and better outcomes for brain tumour patients.  

Crucially, improved access alone is not enough, and we must ensure that these new medicines are coming across the pipeline. Increased investment in research remains critical to accelerating the discovery and development of treatments for brain tumours, and we will continue to campaign for this on behalf of our community. 

Cathy Hampshire, Vice-Chair of GIST Cancer UK who has lived with GIST cancer for 5 years, said:   

Regorafenib has a limited window of effectiveness. At every scan and every consultation, I brace myself for the moment I’m told the drug has stopped working, that the tumours are growing again, and that there is no further treatment options left.  

Today’s UK-US pharmaceutical partnership and NICE’s decision to approve the treatment changes that picture entirely. I was literally dancing around the room when I heard. When you’re on the third of the 3 available treatments and been told there are no more options, you feel like the system has given up on you. After a two-year battle, the UK government through this partnership and NICE has recognised the importance of making Ripretinib available. For people like me across England and Wales, this opens up a new treatment pathway — and with it, renewed hope. I feel as though a huge weight has lifted from my shoulders. For the first time in a long while, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The UK has now also secured preferential terms for medical technology exports, with no additional new tariffs on medtech for at least 3 years — unlocking further investment in British manufacturing and strengthening the UK’s position as a world leader in health innovation.  

The medtech sector employs over 195,000 people across the UK, and these preferential terms provide businesses with the certainty they need to invest, grow, and create jobs here. 

The UK and US have also agreed to work together towards mutual recognition of medical device approvals — cutting red tape and supporting future innovative health technologies to reach patients on both sides of the Atlantic. 

In addition, the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) headline payment percentage — the rebate pharmaceutical companies pay on branded medicines sold to the NHS — will be capped at a maximum of 15% until the end of the current scheme, which expires on 31 December 2028, providing the stability and predictability that life sciences companies need to invest and grow in the UK. 

Dr Zubir Ahmed, Health Innovation and Safety Minister, said: 

For too long, NHS patients have watched as some treatments available in other countries remained out of reach here. We’re changing that. 

From April, thousands of people across the UK will be able to access treatments on the NHS that were previously out of reach. This is the first time in over twenty years that we have raised the bar for what the NICE can approve, and it means life-changing medicines can reach the patients who need them most. 

This government made a commitment to make the NHS fit for the future — and we are delivering on it by building an NHS that works better for patients, along with building an economy that delivers skilled jobs and growth across the country.

To drive further progress, the government and the UK life sciences industry have launched a new Joint Taskforce to accelerate innovation in the UK’s commercial environment for medicines. It will report back to ministers and industry leaders with initial findings, with pilot schemes expected to launch as early as September 2026. 

The Taskforce will work with the pharmaceutical sector, NHS England, NICE, and patient and charity groups, to help the UK become the third most important life sciences economy by 2035—as outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan and Life Sciences Sector Plan. 

The government has committed to doubling spending on innovative medicines as a proportion of GDP — from 0.3% to 0.6% over the next 10 years. This means NHS patients get wider and faster access to the treatments they need, including for cancer and other life-limiting conditions. 

It also sends a clear signal to global investors that the UK is a serious, long-term partner for the life sciences industry — supporting economic growth and high-skilled jobs across the country. 

Chris Boerner, Bristol Myers Squibb Board Chair and CEO, said:   

Bristol Myers Squibb welcomes this arrangement as a step toward properly recognising the value of innovative medicines so patients in the UK can access them sooner. We will work with the UK and US governments to support this goal and recognise the Prime Minister’s focus on building a better medicines ecosystem. We are proud of our UK sites and their role in delivering for patients and anticipate investing more than $500 million in the UK over the next 5 years. 

Richard Torbett, Chief Executive of the ABPI, said:   

This landmark partnership is an important step forward for patients, the NHS and the UK’s life sciences sector. It reinforces the UK’s position as a global centre for innovation, helping to attract investment and accelerate access to cutting-edge medicines.  

The government has listened to industry concerns and is taking positive action to improve access and create a more stable, competitive environment. While further detail and technical work is underway, this is strong progress, and we look forward to working closely with the government to ensure these commitments deliver for patients, the NHS and the UK economy.

As part of the UK’s ambition to be the leading Life Sciences Economy in Europe by 2030 and to maximise the economic benefits of these changes, we will be working closely with industry to help land investment into the UK. 

The partnership will support greater investment in UK life sciences. It has already started generating results, such as £500 million investment in UK R&D and manufacturing in Surrey from the global biopharmaceutical company UCB which was announced in January, turbocharging economic growth. 

Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said: 

This government’s trade strategy is delivering for our world-leading pharma sector, accelerating health innovation while protecting high-skilled jobs here in the UK. 

Partnerships like this demonstrate the tangible benefits of our strong UK-US economic relationship, and we will continue to prioritise getting the best for British business through the Economic Prosperity Deal.

Today’s finalised text builds on the General Terms of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal signed in May and takes forward commitments made when the principles of this partnership were first announced in December.  

The partnership forms part of the government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, backed by over £2 billion of investment, and its Modern Industrial Strategy 

Further quotes: 

Shay Emerton was diagnosed with a grade 2 glioma, a type of brain tumour, at the age of 24. Shay has been able to access the drug Vorasidenib, which has had a significant impact on quality of life. However, this access had previously been under threat. The new partnership will now help ensure that patients like Shay can benefit from these life‑changing treatments. Shay said:   

I consider myself extremely lucky to have accessed Vorasidenib on the managed access scheme. It really has changed my life significantly and this decision from NICE is a game changer in neurooncology. It was an honour to be the patient advocate on the NICE appraisal as I was able to represent the low grade glioma community who could benefit from this drug. It has now given not only me but hopefully many patients around the UK hope for the future and at last another option compared to the standard treatment of care. I hope this is just the start of the much needed improvement in care options for low grade glioma patients.

Dave Ricks, Chair & CEO of Eli Lilly and Company, said:   

This UK / US arrangement on pharmaceuticals is an encouraging move; the positive trend in the UK warrants our attention and Lilly will revisit our investment plans there as the environment improves.

A spokesperson from GSK, said:   

We are pleased that the partnership between the UK and US on pharmaceuticals has been finalised. It provides certainty on zero-tariffs for medicines and offers real improvements to the UK operating environment and rewards for innovation. 

This is an important foundation for the UK’s global competitiveness in life sciences and for future investment in the country. As a longstanding and significant investor in the UK, GSK is particularly encouraged by the commitments contained in the partnership. 

Work now needs to happen at pace on the detailed actions to deliver these improvements and GSK is committed to supporting this.

Dr Scott Purdon, Chair of the Charity Medicines Access Coalition (CMAC) and Head of Patient Advocacy at Myeloma UK, said:  

Investment in the UK life sciences sector and improved access to medicines is welcome news. The approval of 2 new cancer treatments, enabled by changes to the NICE thresholds, offers real hope to people waiting for new options. For many patients and their families, these decisions can mean more time and a better quality of life.  

We hope this marks the beginning of many more approvals. Continued investment in research and innovation is essential to delivering the breakthrough treatments patients urgently need. Today’s announcement is a welcome step, but just one piece of a much bigger picture.  

What matters now is seeing a genuine and long‑term commitment from the pharmaceutical industry to invest in UK research and development. That means expanding clinical trial opportunities for people across the UK and reinforcing the UK’s reputation as a global leader in science and timely access to medicines.  

We look forward to working closely with DHSC so that people can meaningfully access these innovative treatments. Ultimately, every decision should bring us closer to what matters most: faster, fairer access to life‑changing treatments for the people who need them.

Nicola Perrin, Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said:  

For our member charities, the worst possible scenario is having a discovery stuck in the lab, or a treatment available in other countries but not through the NHS. We therefore welcome today’s announcement and the progress that has been made since last December. This reinforces the government’s commitment to making the UK one of the best places in the world to develop new treatments. It will also help to ensure that patients can access new medicines as quickly as possible. 

Dr Ian Walker, Executive Director of Policy at Cancer Research UK, said:  

Research into kinder, more effective and more targeted treatments relies on the UK maintaining its world-leading position in the life sciences sector. These changes to the way that NICE evaluates new medicines will lead to greater investment in the industry, critically enabling more life-saving discoveries for people with cancer and ensuring that patients receive the treatment they deserve.  

Changes to the pricing of medicines should help to improve patients’ access to proven, innovative drugs, and it’s important that this is delivered as a broader package of investment across the NHS. 

Abbvie Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Jeff Stewart said:  

We appreciate the US-UK pharmaceuticals arrangement as a first step in recognising the impact of innovative medicines on patient outcomes. We believe rapid implementation of the partnership is now needed to deliver meaningful results for patients and the sector.

Nico Reynders, General Manager, UCB UK & Ireland, said:   

We welcome the government’s commitment to bringing innovative treatments to UK patients and this arrangement supports industry/government collaboration to ensure UK citizens have access to the best treatments across all disease areas.   

UCB remains a committed, strategic partner in the UK healthcare system through investment in research, development and manufacturing of innovative medicines which we aim to bring to UK patients simultaneously with patients worldwide.

Professor Andrew Morris CBE FRSE PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:   

Getting effective treatments to patients faster is what matters most, and the approval of new medicines as a direct result of these changes shows that this arrangement can make a real difference to people and families.    

The commitment to increase spending on innovative medicines, backed by interim targets, is a welcome step towards a system that properly values the contribution of medical science. Planned changes to how NICE measures the impact of treatments on patients’ quality of life will also bring its methods into line with latest evidence – something researchers and clinicians have long called for.   

A strong life sciences sector benefits patients first and foremost by supporting faster and fairer access to new treatments, more clinical trials, and continued medical research. It can also bring wider benefits to the economy through investment and skilled jobs. But for patients to feel the full benefit, this must go hand in hand with broader investment in the NHS and the health and care services they rely on every day.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 24 March 2026.

The most significant overhaul of the regulation of medical professionals since 1983 will be set out in a consultation on the General Medical Council Order.

• Biggest reform of General Medical Council for over 40 years
• First tranche of Lord John Mann recommendations set out in the consultation
• Boost to NHS patient and staff safety

Major reform to the General Medical Council (GMC) is being put in motion today (24 March 2026) to modernise the regulation of doctors, making the system faster, less bureaucratic and better equipped to protect both patients and NHS staff.

The most significant overhaul of the regulation of medical professionals since 1983 will be set out in a consultation on the draft General Medical Council Order 2026 – the proposed legislation governing the regulation of doctors – which has been launched today.

There have been too many recent examples of doctors using intolerably racist and antisemitic language, particularly on social media, without regulators taking swift enough action to effectively protect patients and NHS staff. It is clear that the current regulatory landscape is outdated and too bureaucratic, hampering GMC’s ability to act decisively when doctors contravene their code of conduct.

That is why the government asked Lord John Mann to conduct a rapid review into antisemitism and other forms of racism in the health service in November. Alongside the wider modernisation proposals, the government is consulting on the first tranche of recommendations from Lord Mann’s review.

The GMC Order will consult on delivering these recommendations into law, introducing 3 key changes:

• GMC will retain its existing right to appeal decisions made by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) to the courts, ensuring there remains a robust check on fitness to practise outcomes
• the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) – the body that oversees all healthcare regulators – will receive new powers to challenge interim decisions made by MPTS, and the GMC will receive equivalent powers
• regulators will be required to share information with PSA when requested, strengthening PSA’s ability to scrutinise regulatory decisions and intervene where necessary

These changes will increase oversight of GMC and make it easier for regulators and oversight bodies to act where decisions are not strong enough to keep the public safe.

Beyond the Mann recommendations, in order to drive positive change and strengthen sexual safety in the NHS, the consultation also proposes removing the current rule that prevents regulators from being able to consider fitness to practise concerns involving allegations of historic sexual abuse after 5 years have passed. 

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 

The NHS is a universal health service, which means that everyone, regardless of race, religion, or belief, should feel safe seeking its care. It is unacceptable that this is not the current reality for many patients and staff, and I will not allow it to continue.

I am grateful to Lord John Mann for his rapid investigation into how we can overhaul the current system and I look forward to setting his common-sense recommendations in motion to ensure NHS patients and staff get the protection they expect.

 Lord John Mann said:

Racism, including anti-Jewish racism, has no place in the health sector or our NHS, and those who engage in it should face swift and meaningful consequences. For too long, the system has been too slow and too cumbersome to deliver that. These reforms will help deliver change.

I am pleased that the government has moved quickly to act on my recommendations, and I look forward to working with it to implement the rest of my review.

The consultation also proposes reforms to make the regulatory system more efficient and fit for the future, including greater flexibility on education and training standards and increased autonomy for regulators to respond to future workforce needs.

This includes overhauling the fitness to practise process to make it swifter, fairer and less adversarial, strengthening public protection and improving the experience for all parties involved. This will further support the work GMC has already done to eliminate bias in its fitness to practise processes.

GMC Chief Executive and Registrar, Charlie Massey, said:

Patients rightly expect assurance that doctors, physician associates and anaesthesia associates are safe to practise and can be held to account if serious concerns are raised. These proposed reforms will allow us to respond more quickly and flexibly when patient safety is at risk.

They will also allow us to further improve our efficiency and effectiveness, while at the same time enabling us to help patients navigate the complaints and concerns process more easily.

This is an important and long-awaited step towards a more responsive and compassionate approach to healthcare regulation.

Together, these changes are designed to reduce bureaucracy, improve patient and staff safety and support the NHS workforce.

The press release issued by the Department for Health and Social Care on 24 March 2026.

Following an attack on Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green, the Department of Health and Social Care is taking action to support the charity and patients.

In response to the attacks on Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green, north London, on Monday 23 March, the Secretary of State confirmed the government has arranged for replacement ambulances to be provided on loan from the London Ambulance Service and will cover the cost of replacements for the vehicles destroyed.

The loan ambulances will arrive today [24 March] and the replacements will be provided as soon as possible.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

This shocking, cowardly, and despicable act of evil was not only an attack on London’s Jewish community, but on an ambulance service whose sole purpose is to save lives and care for others.

There is no doubt this attack was designed to strike fear into the heart of Jewish people in Golders Green and across the country. And, as a Member of Parliament who represents a significant Jewish community further east in London, I know what’s happened will be felt painfully and acutely by all Jewish people across our country.

The aim of these attackers is clear – they want Jewish people in this country to live smaller lives, to live less Jewish lives, to be less visible as Jewish people, and to fear going about Jewish life – whether that’s attending school or providing the services and support that makes the Jewish community one of the most resilient, strong, and proud communities in the country.

Hatzola’s volunteers represent the very best of public service, providing rapid, life-saving care to anyone in need, and it is appalling that such a service has been targeted in this way.

Of course, the best form of solidarity is practical solidarity, which is why today, our London Ambulance Service colleagues are providing support to the team in Golders Green to make sure that we don’t skip a beat when it comes to responding to emergency call-outs. We will also be providing four replacement ambulances, initially on loan until we can provide permanent replacements. The Jewish community should not bear the cost of this hatred.

This moment demands more than practical support. The Jewish community will not stand alone – the government and this entire country stand with them.

The answer cannot simply be higher walls, thicker doors, more CCTV. We also have to deal with this hatred at its source. We have to confront and beat the evil ideas that are permeating in our society. Anti-Semitism is an old hatred, but it is alive and kicking in our country, and all of us, particularly those who are not Jewish, have to wake up, stand up, and work with our Jewish friends and neighbours in confronting and defeating this despicable hatred.

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 10 March 2026.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting appoints Donna Ockenden to lead the independent review into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity and neonatal service.

• Secretary of State for Health and Social Care appoints Ockenden to lead independent review into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity and neonatal services. 
• Follows repeated maternity failures in Leeds, one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, and the announcement of an independent review in October 2025. 
• Decision reflects families’ own asks, following direct conversations with the Secretary of State.

Families in Leeds are closer to seeing lasting change following the appointment of senior midwife Donna Ockenden to lead an independent review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 

The Health and Social Care Secretary spoke this morning with the families, where he set out that this decision has been made with the aim of building the confidence of all the families who have been harmed. It’s the third time since September that the Secretary of State has met with the families.

Ockenden brings extensive experience as a nurse and midwife, alongside her track record of uncovering systemic failings in maternity care – having examined maternity practices at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust – and is currently chairing the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust maternity review.

From next month, the government will kickstart work with families to further develop the terms of reference for the review, with individual clinical case reviews set to begin from August 2026. 

The government has taken significant action to overhaul maternity care over the last 18 months, including a rapid national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England led by Baroness Amos, who published her interim findings on 26 February 2026. 

The Secretary of State will also launch the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, taking the national investigation’s recommendations and turning them into a concrete plan for real, lasting change. 

Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said: 

Donna Ockenden is an outstanding advocate for families whose voices have not always been heard, and I’m delighted to appoint someone so trusted by those who have been repeatedly let down by the NHS.  

To the families in Leeds, I want to say thank you for your openness during our detailed discussions in recent weeks, and the courage you continue to show in sharing your experiences and advocating for lasting change, so other families do not experience the unimaginable tragedies you have gone through.  

This review must deliver for you, and for the sake of all families, who rightly expect to receive safe and high-quality maternity care in the NHS. Donna Ockenden’s leadership will bring us closer to the lasting change so desperately needed in Leeds.

Donna Ockenden said:

It is an honour to have been asked to chair this review, and I feel a profound sense of responsibility to the parents, babies and healthcare professionals it concerns to ensure that we get this right.

This review must remain firmly focused on the families who, in many instances, have waited far too long for answers to questions about their care. My priority will be to listen carefully to families and staff, to understand what has gone wrong, and to ensure that the lessons are learned and the changes required are made, in a timely way, thus ensuring that all mothers, their babies and families receive safe, high-quality perinatal care.

The Leeds family maternity group said:

It has been a long, drawn-out and emotionally draining process to get the assurances that this investigation will be handled with the appropriate methodology and care that it needs.

We are grateful that Wes Streeting has listened carefully to all of the evidence we put to him about our concerns and why Donna Ockenden should be appointed as chair. We believe she has the experience, independence and determination required to uncover the truth and deliver meaningful accountability and change.

The independent review into Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity units was announced by the Secretary of State in October last year, following repeated maternity failures. Despite being one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust remains an outlier on perinatal mortality according to MBRRACE-UK data.  

The review will focus on identifying areas of concern within maternity and neonatal care at the trust, with recommended actions to help improve the safety, quality and equity of maternity care.

While the terms of reference for the review are yet to be agreed, we expect the review to involve case reviews of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and serious incidents, hypoxic injuries and maternal deaths over a 15-year timeframe (1 January 2011 to 31 December 2025).  

Following the successful approach in Nottingham, the inclusion of cases in the review will be based on an opt-out basis, meaning that all families who meet the terms of reference will automatically be included unless they choose otherwise, ensuring that no voices are missed. 

It will also look at the governance, accountability and handling of concerns at the trust when they are raised by women and/or their families and staff members. 

Final decisions will be made following further engagement with Donna Ockenden and families.

While the time-reporting timescale for this review will be confirmed in due course, learning and recommendations will be shared on an ongoing basis with the trust, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to allow rapid action at all levels to improve the safety of maternity care. 

The vast majority of births on the NHS are safe and women should continue to attend all maternity appointments. Women and families are encouraged to raise any concerns with their midwife or healthcare team without hesitation. 

The appointment of the chair of the Leeds independent review follows a suite of measures this government has taken to improve maternity care. Since July 2024, we have:  

• invested over £131 million in 122 infrastructure projects  across 49 NHS trusts to improve safety of neonatal care facilities
• implemented a new programme to reduce the 2 leading causes of avoidable brain injury during labour
• piloted Martha’s Rule in maternity and neonatal units in 14 trusts across 6 regions to give patients and families the right to request a second opinion
• launched a package of initiatives and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death and preterm birth
• introduced a Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme to develop a culture of safety, learning and support for leads from all maternity and neonatal units
• created targeted schemes to promote midwife retention and the Graduate Guarantee, so that every qualified nurse and midwife in England can apply to join the health workforce. The latest workforce stats show that, as of November 2025, there are 31,024 midwives working in the NHS, which equates to 25,530 full-time equivalent midwives
• expanded maternal mental health services to help women and extended the Baby Loss Certificate scheme to include all historic losses
• rolled out guidance across the NHS to tackle the leading causes of maternal death including thrombosis, mental health, epilepsy and haemorrhage
• launched an anti-discrimination programme and a system to better identify  safety concerns

NHS England has published an inequalities dashboard, which will support the identification of areas where specific populations face the greatest disparities, enabling tailored interventions and more equitable support.

The Secretary of State:

• has ordered a national maternity investigation, chaired by Baroness Amos. The aim of this rapid, independent investigation is to develop one set of national recommendations to drive improvements in maternity and neonatal care across England and reduce inequalities in the delivery of these services
• will chair a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce shortly. The taskforce is specifically designed to ensure the investigations’ recommendations translate into action