Update on ICB Meeting – 14th May
On 14th May, we attended the NHS Gloucestershire Trust Board meeting held at Cheltenham Hospital.
During the meeting, GMAG met with Kevin McNamara, Chief Executive, and Matt Holdaway, Director of Quality and Chief Nurse at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Representing the voices of women and families across the county, GMAG presented three questions regarding recent changes to postnatal care and listened to wider updates on maternity service provision.
A key point to emerge from the meeting was a clear commitment from NHS Gloucestershire Trust to review and revise maternity services across the county as part of a wider “Case for Change” report and process.
Trust leaders acknowledged the significance of the national Kirkup and Ockenden reports, alongside ongoing concerns around the quality and consistency of maternity care provision. This follows findings from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which told Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that immediate improvements were required following an unannounced inspection in March and April 2024.
Recent and proposed changes to maternity services in Gloucestershire have taken place alongside longstanding concerns about the absence of senior midwifery leadership able to effectively advocate for midwife-led care and physiological birth in strategic decision-making. During the meeting, GMAG were told that all three senior midwifery leadership roles have now been filled, with a Director of Midwifery beginning in July 2026.
Matt spoke about a commitment to “physiological midwife-led care in the community,” while also referencing changing demographics and rising complexity within maternity care, including increasing rates of induction and caesarean birth.
GMAG welcomes recognition of the importance of community midwifery and physiological birth. However, we also believe that rising rates of medical intervention cannot be viewed separately from the wider context in which many women report feeling unsupported, fearful, traumatised, unheard, or lacking genuine choice during maternity care.
Too many women are currently entering motherhood after difficult or traumatic birth experiences. We believe maternity services should not only focus on clinical safety, but also on emotional wellbeing, dignity, informed consent, continuity of care, and women’s long-term physical and psychological health. While we were unable to submit these questions for the official meeting, we did remind Matt of these concerns after the meeting.
As a result, GMAG has now been invited to discussions around the redesign of maternity services in Gloucestershire. Trust Board member Mark Pietroni stated: “We won’t get this opportunity for the next 15 years, so we need to do this right. Recognise how significant this is.” This is an important moment for maternity care in Gloucestershire. However, we are mindful of the fact GMAG have already spent some time asking questions, submitting Freedom of Information requests, raising concerns publicly, and engaging in discussions with Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust without seeing significant action.
Regardless, we will continue to show up and speak up for the lawful birth rights of women and families in Gloucestershire. We believe women, babies, families and midwives deserve safe, compassionate, evidence-based maternity care that protects genuine choice, supports physiological birth where appropriate, and ensures all women are treated with dignity, respect and continuity of care.
Supporting This Work
Following ICB Board meetings, preparing public questions, reviewing documents, submitting FOI requests and challenging unsafe or poorly evidenced service changes all takes time and consistent attention.
GMAG is a community-led group, and this work is strengthened when more local people are involved. If you care about protecting safe, local, midwifery-led maternity care in Gloucestershire, you can support the work by becoming a GMAG member.
Membership helps fund the practical costs of this work, including research, administration, public information, website updates, campaign materials and advocacy. There is no obligation to take on a role or attend meetings unless you want to. Simply becoming a member helps show that local families care about maternity services and want decisions to be transparent, lawful and properly informed.
Members will be kept updated about key developments, public meetings, consultations, actions and opportunities to get more involved.
Become a GMAG member and help us keep maternity services in Gloucestershire visible, accountable and centred on women, babies and families.