Blog
Enhancing Public Accountability: Key Elements of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill 2025
Kirsty Cook
17 September 2025
14 Maternity Trusts to be Scrutinised as Part of National Investigation
The Government has this week confirmed the names of 14 Hospital Trusts that will be part of a rapid national investigation of maternity and newborn baby care across England that was announced by Wes Streeting back in June. (See my colleague Sharon Burkill’s blog on that announcement here). I am carefully watching the developments with regard to this investigation, knowing full well from my clients and their stories how desperately improvements to our maternity services are needed.
2 September 2025
HSSIB contributes to the national investigation into maternity and neonatal services – but will change ever be implemented?
The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) has shared insights into safety concerns raised by women and families and other stakeholders about maternity and neonatal care within NHS England, highlighting once again the need for meaningful change.
23 July 2025
NHSR Annual Report: Clinical Negligence under the spotlight
Each year NHS Resolution, the body dealing with legal claims against the NHS, produces a report which provides insights into what is happening with clinical negligence claims. This year the picture is very mixed. It shows that claims for clinical negligence are on the rise although more cases are being settled without the need for Court proceedings. Nonetheless, despite Government efforts, high levels of maternity cases and associated costs persist.
25 June 2025
Is this the turning point for maternity care?
Concerns over NHS maternity care are very sadly seldom out of the news. As a lawyer who has specialised in birth injury claims over many years, it has been all too clear to me for a long time, that far too many women and babies, fail to receive anywhere close to adequate maternity care leading in some instances to devastating outcomes.
9 January 2025
Delays in Diagnosis: Meningococcal Disease and Meningitis
New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows a significant rise in cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) across England during 2022/23 compared with the previous year. Meningococcal disease is the collective name given to disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Infection with this bacteria can result in either meningitis or septicaemia (commonly known as blood poisoning) or both.
