NHS maternity care: What are the problems at the heart of its failures?

Ida Lock's death exposed why maternity services across England have long struggled to improve.

The inquest into her death exposed over five weeks why maternity care has failed so many families.

Morecambe Bay Trust promised to enact all 18 recommendations from the Kirkup review.

But the trust has not even lead to improvement at Furness General Hospital .

An investigation into services at Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trust found more than 200 mothers and babies could have survived with better care.

Families in several areas, including Sussex , Leeds and Oxford , want local investigations into their maternity services.

An ongoing review into the maternity care provided by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust is set to be the biggest yet, with around 2,500 cases being examined.

In 2023-24 , NHS Resolution paid out 1.15bn for maternity-related deaths and injuries, 41% of its total payments.

There are now calls for a national maternity inquiry, rather than relying on individual ones at different hospitals and trusts.

The Department of Health says it is "unable to comment on individual staffing responsibility".