THURROCK MP Jen Craft has backed a government 'rapid' investigation into the care offered at Basildon Hospital's maternity care as part of a wider-ranging probe.

Today (Monday, 23 June), Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, ordered a rapid national investigation into NHS maternity care, which will look urgently at ten of the worst performing maternity and neonatal services in the country, including Mid and South Essex. 

Mrs Craft has been quick to welcome the move as she has previously expressed serious concern at failures in local maternity care, particularly at Basildon Hospital, where a CQC report in January categorised services as 'requires improvement'.

In a public letter to the Trust dated early this year, the Thurrock MP called for "urgent improvements to address the history of poor performance and deliver a safer service for patients" in maternity wards.

Shortly after, Mrs Craft visited Basildon Hospital to speak with staff and senior management. Those working at the site said they were struggling to combat the lack of community of antenatal care and were restricted by limited space and resources.

The incoming investigation, due to begin this summer, will consist of two parts. First, it will examine the most concerning maternity and neonatal units in an effort to drive rapid improvement in the areas most acutely affected.

Investigators will then undertake a system-wide look at maternity and neonatal care, bringing together lessons from past inquiries to create one clear, national set of actions to improve standards across every NHS maternity service – so every woman and baby receives safe, high-quality and compassionate care.

The investigation will be co-produced with clinicians, experts and parents all feeding in, following a series of private meetings last week between the Secretary of State and families who have been harmed or bereaved by failures in their care.

It comes alongside a package of immediate actions to improve care, including greater intervention by the Secretary of State and NHS chief executive to hold failing trusts to account.

The government is also today establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The Secretary will work alongside a panel of experts and bereaved families to drive improvements in care.

Mrs Craft said: "I had my youngest child under Mid and South Essex Trust, receiving antenatal care at Basildon hospital, so I know just how scary it can feel to read that services in our area are not delivering consistent, high-quality care.

"Maternity care in this country is in desperate need of an overhaul, and we must put women's voices and experiences right at the heart of improvement efforts.

"Having repeatedly called for further action, I welcome this national investigation as a critical step forward, holding failing services to account and driving urgent improvements to care and safety, so that mothers in our area get the support they deserve."