On 5 May 2026, Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust celebrated International Day of the Midwife. This year’s theme was ‘One million more midwives’, highlighting the urgent global shortage of nearly 980,000 midwives.

Members have been confirmed for a new National Maternity and Neonatal taskforce chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary to deliver improvements on maternity. Women, babies and families are expected to receive safer and higher quality NHS care.

Eliza was the first baby to be recruited to the COMET (Cooling in Mild Encephalopathy Trial) study at Tunbridge Wells Hospital aiming to improve care for babies who suffer from brain injury at birth.

The Neonatal Nurses Association has announced a new partnership with Walters Medical to deliver a programme of webinars designed to support neonatal nurses who provide direct care to premature and sick babies across the UK.

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust maternity triage teams based at both Royal Derby Hospital and Queen's Hospital Burton are the first point of call for pregnancy-related concerns, offering telephone advice to 3,000 women every month, and caring for 1,600 women face to face.

Mira Waligóra at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, has been recognised for championing clearer communication and improved support for women facing language barriers. Her work has produced practical tools now used by student midwives and has influenced educational materials and curriculum design.

The Scottish Government and pharmaceutical company Novartis are funding an evaluation to assess how well screening can detect spinal muscular atrophy earlier, allowing babies to receive treatment as soon as possible.The hope is that this test could enable earlier treatment and improve life chances.

On March 13th, the historic Plaisterers’ Hall near the Barbican in the City of London, played host to a magnificent evening of elegance and philanthropy as Ickle Pickles held its annual Incubator Ball to raise funds for sick and premature babies.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has teamed up with the doctor’s regulator to launch two new resources that aim to provide practical advice and support for those working in maternity care and tackle challenges within the sector.

The Bwrdd lechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (bcuhb) has hosted the first ever conference fostering closer working between health care staff and the parents of babies needing neonatal care.

On Thursday 26 February 2026, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists responded to an interim report from the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, chaired by Baroness Amos.

Grace Bell, who was born without a womb, gave birth to healthy baby boy called Hugo in December 2025. She is the first woman in the UK to give birth following a womb transplant from a deceased donor - and believed to be just the third in Europe.