Rosie Duffield
MP for Canterbury, Whitstable and the Villages
Strengthening our NHS
ensuring a culture change in maternity care and better care in our community.
Our National Health Service (NHS) is clearly not working how it should. Whilst the pandemic placed the NHS under unprecedented stress, the reality is waiting lists were already at record highs. The Conservatives have continually reached for sticking plaster solutions to the problems facing the NHS, without ever addressing the root causes.​ We must build an NHS fit for the future.
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Over five years ago, the previous Conservative Government promised us a new hospital in Canterbury, but we're further from delivery than ever. Ministers have ignored repeated bids for critical capital investment into local health services.
We deserve better than pre-war infrastructure and fragmented services, and I will continue to fight for what we need, located close to home.
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Improving Maternity Services in East Kent
I've worked locally with health ministers and affected local families following the publication of Dr Bill Kirkup's report into East Kent Hospital's Maternity Services. Many families have been through so much, and we owe it to them to ensure that Government continues to work with the Hospital Trust to transform maternity care in East Kent.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma
In 2023, I was pleased to launch the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Birth Trauma as Co-Chair alongside Theo Clarke MP. Preceding the launch, the former Conservative Government had launched its Women’s Health Strategy, with birth trauma scarcely mentioned. The objective of the APPG is to address this gap and ensure that all women who have had birth complications are better supported in future.
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In May 2024, we published the first Parliamentary Inquiry Report into Birth Trauma. We found that too many mothers and their families have been left with terrible physical and psychological consequences as a result of traumatic births, and we want to end the taboo that keeps these stories hidden. You can read the report and our recommendations here.
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Following the General Election in 2024, I am delighted to continue as Co-Chair of the APPG, alongside Rosena Allin-Khan MP. We work closely with groups including the Birth Trauma Association, Maternal Mental Health Alliance, and Mumsnet.
