Risk of serious birth injuries rising for women in England, data suggests

Women in England are facing their highest risk of serious injury during childbirth since 2020, according to figures from NHS England. The rate of severe perineal tears, classified as third- and fourth-degree tears, reached 31.1 per 1,000 births in the first quarter of the year, marking a significant increase from 25 per 1,000 when monitoring began in June 2020.

Similarly, the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, defined as a blood loss of at least one and a half liters, has also risen. The annual rate increased to 31.2 per 1,000 births in early 2026, compared to 25.6 per 1,000 five years prior. These statistics highlight a concerning trend in maternity care safety.

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Behind these statistics are women going through unimaginable trauma, requiring surgery and in many cases months or even years of recovery. Some will never fully recover.

Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson who obtained the data, described the situation as "unimaginable trauma" for affected women, many of whom require extensive recovery periods, with some never fully recovering. She urged that maternity services be recognized as a "national crisis" and stressed that reversing the trend of rising blood loss and severe tears requires making safety the top priority.

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This news … shows that we need to treat maternity services as a national crisis. The truth is that we will not reverse this dangerous, unacceptable trend – of rising blood loss and record severe tears – until we make safety a priority.

The release of these figures precedes the publication of Lady Amos's government-commissioned report on childbirth care, which is expected to intensify calls for a major transformation of existing services. There is growing speculation that Donna Ockenden, a prominent midwife and safety expert known for her critical report on maternity scandals at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, may be appointed as the first maternity commissioner to oversee improvements.

Ockenden is currently investigating other emerging childbirth scandals in Leeds and Sussex. The government has pledged to publish an action plan to reform maternity services by the end of the year, but pressure is mounting for more immediate and concrete plans. The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the concerning findings, stating that "too many women are being failed by poor-quality maternity care." In response, the government decided to expand "Martha's Rule" to all maternity and neonatal units, granting women and parents the right to a second opinion on care.

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These are concerning findings, and as last week’s shocking report into maternity services at Nottingham university hospitals [trust] underlined, too many women are being failed by poor-quality maternity care.