Rising Maternal Bleeding Risk in England: A Growing Cause for Concern
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is facing an alarming rise in severe bleeding after childbirth, with the risk increasing by 19% over the past year. According to recent data, the rate of postpartum haemorrhage has reached its highest level in five years, prompting fears about the quality and safety of NHS maternity care.
The Liberal Democrats have expressed "terrible" concern about the growing risk of mothers suffering from severe bleeding after giving birth, with the number of incidents rising to 16,780 last year. This represents a significant increase from previous years, despite a decline in the overall number of births.
Experts point to childbirth becoming more complicated in recent years, largely due to obesity and an increasing number of older women having babies. Both factors significantly increase the risk of complications and the need for medical intervention, leading to heavy bleeding after delivery.
"This is a terrifying situation," said Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats' health spokesperson. "We already have two-thirds of maternity units rated as not safe enough, with maternal deaths on the rise. Now we're seeing a growing risk of postpartum haemorrhage, which is a known cause of birth-related trauma in women."
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has also expressed concern about the reported increase in postpartum haemorrhage, stating that it must be understood within the context of births becoming more clinically complex. However, many experts agree that more needs to be done to address the root causes of these complications.
The Liberal Democrats are now calling on the health secretary to draw up a "maternity rescue plan" to bring all units up to what the Care Quality Commission judges to be a good standard. They argue that the failure to implement recommendations from previous maternity inquiries is an insult to families who have been harmed by poor care.
As the situation continues to worsen, there are growing calls for urgent action to address the root causes of these complications and ensure that mothers receive safe and effective care during childbirth. The latest data serves as a stark reminder of the need for better support systems and more effective policies to protect women's health in hospitals.
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is facing an alarming rise in severe bleeding after childbirth, with the risk increasing by 19% over the past year. According to recent data, the rate of postpartum haemorrhage has reached its highest level in five years, prompting fears about the quality and safety of NHS maternity care.
The Liberal Democrats have expressed "terrible" concern about the growing risk of mothers suffering from severe bleeding after giving birth, with the number of incidents rising to 16,780 last year. This represents a significant increase from previous years, despite a decline in the overall number of births.
Experts point to childbirth becoming more complicated in recent years, largely due to obesity and an increasing number of older women having babies. Both factors significantly increase the risk of complications and the need for medical intervention, leading to heavy bleeding after delivery.
"This is a terrifying situation," said Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats' health spokesperson. "We already have two-thirds of maternity units rated as not safe enough, with maternal deaths on the rise. Now we're seeing a growing risk of postpartum haemorrhage, which is a known cause of birth-related trauma in women."
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has also expressed concern about the reported increase in postpartum haemorrhage, stating that it must be understood within the context of births becoming more clinically complex. However, many experts agree that more needs to be done to address the root causes of these complications.
The Liberal Democrats are now calling on the health secretary to draw up a "maternity rescue plan" to bring all units up to what the Care Quality Commission judges to be a good standard. They argue that the failure to implement recommendations from previous maternity inquiries is an insult to families who have been harmed by poor care.
As the situation continues to worsen, there are growing calls for urgent action to address the root causes of these complications and ensure that mothers receive safe and effective care during childbirth. The latest data serves as a stark reminder of the need for better support systems and more effective policies to protect women's health in hospitals.
Like what's going on? Is it because people are getting older and having babies at an older age? And obesity is a factor too, I get that... but 16,780 incidents last year?! That's like, how many women did this happen to?! 
The fact that most maternity units aren't safe enough is just heartbreaking... we need to do so much more than just "raise awareness" 
We need concrete plans and action to be taken ASAP. I mean, what's a "maternity rescue plan"? That sounds like just a bunch of empty words... where are the results? Where are the actual solutions?! 
and obesity is just adding fuel to the fire... can we please just get some better healthcare systems in place instead of blaming the birth process itself? 
seriously, who needs an extra 19% risk of bleeding after giving birth? sounds like the NHS is just winging it 
. all this 'complexity' from obesity and older women having babies... maybe we should've thought of that before it became a thing 
. all jokes aside though... 16,780 cases is still way too many. we should be focusing on actual solutions, not just rehashing old problems 
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." 
. As someone who's been around for a while, I've seen how quickly things can change and how important it is to have good healthcare systems in place. The fact that the risk of severe bleeding after childbirth is on the rise, especially with more complicated births, just doesn't sit right with me. We need to make sure our hospitals are equipped to handle these situations properly and that there's a safety net in place for women who do experience complications.
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I'm so done with people saying it's just 'part of childbirth' like no, it's not okay to put women's lives at risk. Let's get some concrete action plans in place ASAP! 
I'm really worried about this trend in England, it seems like they're not taking enough steps to prevent maternal bleeding after childbirth. With obesity rates rising and more older women having babies, it's no surprise that complications are increasing. But what's concerning is that the NHS is already struggling with some of its maternity units being rated as not safe enough... 2/3?! That's a huge red flag. We need to see some concrete plans from the government to address these issues and ensure mothers receive proper care during childbirth. It can't just be about "maternity rescue plans" if it doesn't lead to real change on the ground. 
I'm so worried about all these new moms out there! The stats on postpartum bleeding are super scary and it makes me want to scream 
anyway, something needs to change here, we need more help for those new moms! 
. NHS needs to step up its game 
. Can't stress enough how terrifying this must be for new mums 
. We need more than just a 'maternity rescue plan' – real change is needed 
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