NHS ‘Toxic Culture’ Risks Harm to Mothers and Babies, Health Leader Warns

Published: 15 September ‘2025. The English Chronicle Desk

Mothers and babies could be at risk of serious harm in the NHS due to a pervasive culture of secrecy and cover-ups, a senior health leader has warned, as it emerged that 14 trusts in England are currently under national maternity investigation.

Charles Massey, chief executive of the General Medical Council, is set to address the Health Service Journal’s patient safety congress in Manchester on Monday, highlighting concerns that trainee obstetrics and gynaecology doctors are often too afraid to speak up. He will say that the “tribal” nature of medicine, with staff divided and often pitted against one another, may prevent the raising of concerns or acknowledgment of mistakes, putting patients at risk.

The warning coincides with the government’s disclosure of 14 NHS trusts under scrutiny as part of a rapid inquiry into maternity and neonatal services, which is due to report preliminary findings in December. A dedicated maternity and neonatal taskforce, chaired by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, has also been established, comprising medical experts and bereaved families.

Streeting acknowledged the courage of families who have come forward, stating: “What they have experienced is devastating, and their strength will help protect other families from enduring what they have been through. Every single preventable tragedy is one too many. Harmed and bereaved families will be right at the heart of this investigation to ensure no one has to suffer like this again.”

Massey is expected to emphasise the dangers of working in an environment where doctors feel unable to voice concerns, noting that such conditions foster “cover-up over candour and obfuscation over honesty,” which can lead to the greatest patient harm. He highlighted that maternity care remains one of the highest-risk areas of medicine, where errors can have tragic, long-lasting consequences for both mothers and babies.

Recent data from the GMC reveal that more than one in four obstetrics and gynaecology trainees (27%) have hesitated to escalate a patient’s care to a senior clinician, a higher proportion than in other specialties. The same group also reports above-average levels of workload-related stress, bullying, and a perception of insufficient support from colleagues.

“These findings suggest that patient safety is too often compromised by unhealthy workplace culture,” Massey will say. “The unthinkable – harm to mothers and their babies – is at risk of becoming normalised, and toxic culture is no small part of the problem.”

The national inquiry and taskforce aim to tackle these systemic issues and ensure that maternity services in England provide a safe, transparent, and accountable environment for both patients and healthcare professionals.