Women ‘being failed by underfunded and understaffed’ UK postnatal care
Women in the UK are being failed by a postnatal care system that is “dangerously underfunded and understaffed”, a damning report has warned,Thousands of new mothers feel unsafe, unsupported and overwhelmed in the weeks and months after giving birth, according to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT),Experts said the report was “deeply troubling” and too many women were “being left without a safety net at one of the most important and vulnerable times of their lives”,Feeling overwhelmed should never be considered a normal part of early parenthood, they added,The NCT report included a survey of 2,000 new and expectant parents across the UK, including 500 women who were pregnant at the time.
Almost a quarter – 24% – said they did not have regular access to NHS staff in the weeks and months after birth,Nearly nine in 10 (87%) reported feeling overwhelmed at least some of the time, with 22% always feeling overwhelmed,Meanwhile, 62% reported feeling lonely sometimes, with 12% saying they felt lonely all of the time,More than half (59%) of pregnant women said they worried about their mental health,The NCT chief executive, Angela McConville, said: “Every major report has shown that the UK’s maternity system is failing to provide safe, compassionate care.
“Becoming a parent is rarely one-dimensional.It can be joyful, frightening, overwhelming and messy, often all at once, and that kaleidoscope of emotions is shaped profoundly by the care and support families receive.“At one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, too many parents tell us they feel unsafe, unsupported and denied genuine choice.”Michelle Welsh, the Labour MP for Sherwood Forest and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on maternity, said the NCT report was “deeply troubling”.It confirmed what families and NHS staff had been telling the group for years, she added.
“Too many parents are being left without a safety net at one of the most important and vulnerable times of their lives.Feeling overwhelmed, isolated or unsafe should never be considered a normal part of pregnancy, birth or early parenthood.”Last year, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, ordered a review into maternity and neonatal care in England.Led by Lady Valerie Amos, it is due to report this spring, and covers 12 NHS trusts.Some families have called for a full statutory inquiry.
McConville said investment, staffing, training and accountability “must be prioritised to ensure every parent can feel confident, supported and heard”.Responding to the report, the government said women should get the support they need in their baby’s first months of life and “stark inequalities” were “unacceptable”.A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson added: “We expect all women to be offered a postnatal checkup with their GP at six to eight weeks after birth, which includes physical and mental health support.“This government is taking urgent action to improve maternity services – launching a national maternity and neonatal investigation, which includes identifying the drivers of inequalities, investing over £130m to make maternity and neonatal units safer, rolling out a programme to reduce avoidable brain injuries, and backing Martha’s Rule.”
‘Pay up’: Rory McIlroy delivers Ryder Cup warning to LIV pair Hatton and Rahm
Rory McIlroy has challenged Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm to demonstrate their commitment to the Ryder Cup cause by settling fines for their LIV Golf participation.McIlroy pointed towards motivation used by Europe during the victory at Bethpage last September after it emerged that the US players were paid to play in the Ryder Cup.The switches of Rahm and Hatton to LIV has drawn fines – totalling several million pounds – due to tournament conflict with the DP World Tour, where both remain members. Both golfers lodged appeals against the sanctions in 2024 but the cases are still to he heard. Rahm has been adamant he will not pay fines
‘It’s not acceptable’: Brook admits he’s lucky to be captain after bouncer altercation
Harry Brook has admitted he is fortunate still to be England’s white-ball captain after clashing with a nightclub bouncer the night before a one-day international in New Zealand, adding that he has “work to do to try to regain the trust of the players”.Brook was involved in an altercation on the eve of England’s third one‑day international on the tour of New Zealand which led into the Ashes. Overseeing his first away series as the side’s limited-overs captain, Brook reported the incident to team management before receiving a fine reportedly close to £30,000 while keeping his job.The England and Wales Cricket Board said it dealt with the matter “through a formal and confidential ECB disciplinary process”, adding: “The player involved has apologised and acknowledged their conduct fell below expectations on this occasion.”In a statement, Brook apologised and said his “behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team”
Mercedes lead designer John Owen to leave team during upcoming F1 season
Mercedes have announced that their leading car designer, John Owen, will leave this season as Formula One enters the first year of a major change in regulations. Owen has played a key part in the enormous success Mercedes has enjoyed in the modern era when the team secured eight consecutive constructors’ championships.There are no indications as yet that Owen intends to join another team, with Mercedes saying he will continue in his role until mid-season to manage the transition process, after which he will take a period of gardening leave and what the team described as “a break from F1”.Mercedes will promote the engineering director, Giacomo Tortora, to become director of car design. Tortora already has a close working relationship with the technical director, James Allison, and the deputy technical director, Simone Resta, who oversee the group
Hans Herrmann obituary
Before leaving his home in Stuttgart to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the summer of 1970, the German racing driver Hans Herrmann promised his wife, Magdalena, that if he won, he would retire from the cockpit. This was his 14th attempt at the French sports car classic and, at 42, he was not expecting to have to honour his pledge.But win he did. He and his co-driver, Richard Attwood, a former Jaguar apprentice, held the lead in their Porsche 917K for the last 12 hours of a race run on a rain-drenched track so treacherous that only seven cars out of 51 starters were able to reach the finish.It was the last event in a career that had seen Herrmann, who has died aged 97, compete in 19 Formula One grands prix for various teams, including Mercedes-Benz, for whom he finished third in the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix on the fast and tricky Bremgarten circuit in Bern
Fans and Welsh rugby chiefs at odds over plan to cut one of four professional sides
Richard Collier-Keywood, the embattled chair of the Welsh Rugby Union, has insisted he has the support of fans and players in Wales as the WRU attempts to drive through radical plans to cut one of the four professional sides.Giving evidence before the House of Commons Welsh affairs select committee, Collier-Keywood – who is facing the threat of a vote of no confidence in his leadership – said he believed “the rugby system was essentially broken” in Wales before he took over and there was widespread acknowledgment that it needed to change.His evidence came on a day when a quartet of Welsh fan representatives testified before that same select committee that he was wrong.Iwan Griffiths, from the Scarlets Supporters Trust, said a poll of their members had revealed that 90% were against the WRU’s proposals. Daniel Hallett, from the Dragons Supporters’ Club, said their own survey had shown “there is no appetite for a potential merger, there is no appetite for jumping ship to another team who have been historic rivals”
Australian Open 2026: De Minaur, Zverev, Tiafoe and Andreeva win, Raducanu out – as it happened
Right, that’s all the matches done on day four and all from me on this blog. Thanks for reading, and here is some more for you if you are catching up. Bye!Jovic will play Paolini in the third round. What a tantalising match that is – the pair met at the US Open a few months ago with Paolini winning in straight sets. But Jovic was asked about that defeat and says she is “much improved” since August
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