Morning, Friday, 4th December 2026
Online
This conference will consider priorities for improving maternity and neonatal care in England following the publication of the final report and recommendations of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, findings from the Ockenden Maternity Review, and the wider programme of NHS reform set out in the 10 Year Health Plan and taken forward through the Health Bill currently progressing through Parliament.
Policy, governance & leadership
It is being organised as an opportunity for key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss priorities for improving maternity and neonatal services, and next steps for implementing recommendations set out in both reviews. Areas for discussion include strengthening governance, leadership and accountability across maternity services, including development of a new national action plan anticipated later this year, the remit and statutory footing of the proposed statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner, and the implementation and assurance of the new NHS England Maternity and Neonatal 10 Point Plan.
Delegates will discuss priorities for improving maternity service quality and oversight in line with the 10 Year Health Plan and wider NHS reform, including the shift towards community and neighbourhood models of care, maintaining safety and quality improvement activity amid financial pressures, and reducing variation in leadership, governance and service delivery across trusts.
Delivery & cultural change
The agenda will examine the respective roles of providers, ICBs and national and regional bodies in translating national recommendations into local improvement and spreading effective practice, looking at how trusts and systems can demonstrate progress against the 10 Point Plan. This includes strengthening maternity triage and responsiveness to women presenting with concerns, and the extension of Martha’s Rule to all maternity and neonatal settings.
Delegates will also consider practical steps for achieving lasting culture change, embedding learning from investigations, and making better use of lived experience and partnerships with women, families and communities to deliver safer, more compassionate care.
Safety, addressing inequalities & digital tools
Discussion is expected on patient safety developments, including the Maternity and Neonatal Equalities Dashboard, rollout of the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme to all trusts by the end of 2026, targeted action to reduce the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap and disparities experienced by disabled women, and strengthening culturally competent, anti-racist and personalised maternity care, in line with the wider ambition of the Women’s Health Strategy to address persistent inequalities in women’s health outcomes. The agenda will also consider wider patient safety reform, including changes following the Dash Review and opportunities to improve strategic planning, complaints handling, transparency and the use of data to drive continuous improvement.
Delegates will assess the potential for use of data, digital tools and emerging technologies in identifying deterioration and emerging safety concerns, including how boards act on alerts from the Maternity Outcomes Signal System, alongside the governance, workforce capability and digital infrastructure needed to support their implementation.
Workforce
Further planned sessions examine workforce priorities in the context of the forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan, including recruitment, retention, education and professional development across midwifery, obstetrics and neonatal services. Delegates will consider how services can respond to immediate staffing pressures and increasing complexity in maternity care, including routes into permanent posts for newly qualified midwives following £10.6m being committed for 2026-27, while assessing support for staff wellbeing and approaches to developing a sustainable longer-term workforce model.
Attendees will also explore how workforce development and culturally competent practice can better support women from marginalised and underserved communities and contribute to more equitable maternity outcomes.
