Midwives are increasingly leaving the NHS in England before age 35 due to burnout, exacerbating staffing shortages in maternity units. Over 1,600 midwives under 35 quit in 2025-26, a 59% rise from 2014-15, threatening care quality and safety for mothers and babies.
An inquiry into Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has revealed offensive acronyms like "FOH" (F*** Off Home) used by midwives to dismiss pregnant women. Documents and staff testimonies highlight a toxic culture, chronic understaffing, and a failure to address serious incidents, impacting thousands of families.
Midwives at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust used the offensive acronym 'FOH' (F*** Off Home) to refer to pregnant women, according to a BBC Panorama investigation. The inquiry into the trust, which has faced numerous allegations of poor care, is due to publish its findings on June 24.
Death doulas in the UK are experiencing a surge in demand as celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Ruby Wax announce their training. These non-medical companions provide emotional and practical support to dying individuals and their families, helping demystify the dying process. End of Life Doula UK saw 114 new members join in 2025, reflecting growing interest in crafting one's own death experience.
An inquest has found that the NHS failed a mother whose baby died a week after an unsafe home birth that went against medical advice. Poppy Hope Lomas was seven days old when she died on 26 October 2022 at University College Hospital in London after complications during a home birth encouraged by midwives at Barnet Hospital. The senior coroner said the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust had supported an "unsafe home delivery" and failed to address "an accumulation of risk factors". The mother had previously had a caesarean section, and guidance states vaginal births after caesarean should take place in a suitably equipped delivery suite.
