The number of women experiencing serious injuries during childbirth in England has reached a record high, prompting calls for urgent action to improve maternity care. Analysis of NHS data reveals that nearly 8,000 women suffered severe postpartum haemorrhages in the first half of 2026—more than double the figure from the same period five years ago. Between April and June alone, 33 women per 1,000 lost over 1.5 litres of blood following delivery.

In addition to this rise in severe bleeding, around three in 100 vaginal births resulted in third- or fourth-degree tears, injuries that often require surgical repair. The rate of such tears has increased by 29% since 2021, raising further concern over maternal health outcomes.

The figures were compiled by the House of Commons library on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, who described the data as a “devastating indictment” of NHS maternity services. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, attributed the rise in serious childbirth injuries to significant staffing shortages and insufficient training. He pointed to reports from the Care Quality Commission indicating that one in ten women are left alone during late stages of labour or childbirth, increasing the risk of trauma.

Davey called on Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to urgently address the situation, demanding increased staffing, better training, and improved resources to tackle what he described as a "national safety scandal." “Every mother deserves safe, compassionate care when bringing a child into the world,” he said, emphasizing the importance of ending this crisis before the next parliamentary election.

In response, the Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged that all women deserve safe maternity care and confirmed that the new health secretary regards the issue as a personal priority. The department highlighted the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by Cooper, as the central mechanism through which the government plans to deliver reforms aimed at reaching the highest standards of maternal safety and care.

NHS England also recognized that many women and families are not currently receiving the quality of maternity care expected. The organisation stated that immediate measures are being taken to strengthen services, including efforts to reduce the incidence of severe tears during birth and the establishment of dedicated pelvic health centres.

Davey, preparing to address his party’s annual conference in Brighton, indicated that maternity care would be a focus of the Liberal Democrats’ future campaigns. He asserted confidence in his party’s prospects for the next general election, especially in Conservative-held southern and rural constituencies, as well as in urban areas such as Newcastle, Hull, and Sheffield.

The discourse surrounding maternity care highlights ongoing concerns about NHS capacity and quality, with political parties seeking to respond to growing public unease regarding maternal health and safety during childbirth.