Channel 4's One Born Every Minute Revival Sparks Outrage Amid Maternity Scandals
Five years ago, as an expectant mother eight months pregnant with my first child, I joined thousands of others across Britain in watching Channel 4's documentary series One Born Every Minute. The programme aimed to demystify the inner workings of the nation's labour wards, presenting a largely reassuring portrait of midwives radiating warmth and compassion while celebrating their shared vocation.
Though the series included difficult storylines featuring premature babies in intensive care and unexpected pregnancies, its central message remained clear: midwives, nurses and doctors would provide unwavering support throughout the childbirth journey, regardless of challenging circumstances.
A Nationwide Maternity Scandal Exposed
Last week, Channel 4 announced a new series of the Bafta-winning documentary. However, the landscape of maternity care has transformed dramatically during the eight years since the show last aired. A stream of damning public inquiries and investigations has exposed a nationwide maternity scandal of unprecedented scale.
Hundreds of preventable baby deaths, mothers suffering irreversible physical and psychological damage, allegations of systemic racism, problematic 'normal birth' ideology, negligent midwife care and entrenched cover-up cultures have been revealed across innumerable NHS trusts.
Unsurprisingly, Channel 4's decision to revive the heartwarming docuseries – which once attracted five million viewers – has been branded 'damaging' and 'disgusting' by maternity reform campaigners and bereaved mothers. Many are calling for the programme to be scrapped entirely.
Personal Tragedies Highlight Systemic Failures
Fiona Winser-Ramm represents those most affected by these failures. She chose to give birth to her daughter Aliona in 2020 at Leeds General Infirmary, where the third and fourth series of One Born Every Minute was filmed. Influenced by the programme's positive portrayal and the hospital's Care Quality Commission rating, she had 'no doubts' about receiving good care.
'How wrong I was,' she now reflects. Aliona died at just 27 minutes old, with a coroner ruling her death resulted from 'midwife neglect' and 'a number of gross failures of the most basic nature.'
After Fiona reported reduced movements and possible ruptured waters at 41 weeks, midwives repeatedly failed to assess and admit her. They knowingly delayed escalating Aliona's condition to doctors and falsified medical records to incorrectly state concerns had been communicated. Following a prolonged 72-hour labour, Aliona was born in such poor condition that her injuries proved unsurvivable.
Fiona now campaigns with other families to expose Leeds maternity services, contributing to a government-commissioned independent inquiry led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is among 14 trusts being investigated as part of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation overseen by Baroness Amos.
Campaigners Condemn Misleading Portrayals
Campaigners argue that One Born Every Minute effectively airbrushes anything not fitting heartwarming entertainment criteria – a portrayal Fiona believes could significantly harm expectant mothers.
'I would actually argue that it could cause significant harm in portraying the view that everyone receives outstanding care,' she states. The upbeat series 'essentially misleads the viewing audience that they can trust everything they are told and that they have nothing to worry about.'
The reality, she explains, is that '65 per cent of maternity services nationally are inadequate along with many families being on the receiving end of racism and cultural failings' – issues extending far beyond simple 'staffing problems.'
Additional Heartbreaking Accounts Emerge
Angela Welsh experienced bereavement at Leeds during the 2011 filming of the series' third season. After her placenta shut down at full term, she learned her son Kion had tragically died. Midwives instructed her to return home and come back days later, where she was 'forced' to deliver normally without the C-section she requested.
'I was put on the labour ward where other mums were having babies. I was treated awfully with no compassion or empathy. I was sent home with a leaflet and no counselling,' she recalls.
She was compelled to sit alongside women with healthy babies while one midwife asked if she wanted to place her baby boy 'in the fridge.' Another disregarded her wishes by allowing cleaners into her baby's room. Months later, Angela saw this same midwife accepting the series' Bafta award while she remained 'sitting at home crying.'
'One Born Every Minute is not a true portrayal of what happens on maternity wards. It is staged and they only show what they want to,' Angela asserts. She describes the revival decision as 'a kick in the teeth to us mums' and urges producers to instead create 'a documentary about the massive baby death scandals.'
National Crisis Extends Beyond Leeds
Maternity ward problems extend nationwide. Donna Ockenden is reviewing services in Nottingham and was recently confirmed to lead an inquiry into Sussex maternity services after campaign group Truth For Our Babies lobbied Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Earlier this month, revelations showed maternal deaths at a 20-year high despite falling birth rates. Midwifery training faces overhaul to address a 'national emergency' as black women emerge three times more likely to die during childbirth.
The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation published a scathing interim report in February, with the full report due this spring. Baroness Amos noted that 'maternity and neonatal services in England are failing too many women, babies, families and staff.' Her six-point report highlighted structural racism, poor staff relationships, and 'a lack of compassion and transparency when baby loss and harm occurs.'
Production Concerns at New Filming Location
Less than three weeks after the call for evidence closed, Channel 4 announced One Born Every Minute would return, filming at Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester. Sources claim senior staff are already attempting to control the unit's portrayal before filming begins.
Although staff and students received emails allowing them to opt in or out of participation, Band Seven coordinators – among the unit's most senior midwives – have allegedly tried to 'dissuade' and even 'bully' junior Band Five members from appearing. Trust representatives categorically deny these claims, insisting all staff levels can participate and that no complaints have been received.
Additional concerns arise from a 2023 Care Quality Commission inspection finding the maternity unit needed improvement in several areas, including insufficient 'skilled and experienced midwifery and medical staff.' Kimberley Salmon-Jamieson, Chief Nursing Officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, stated the maternity team had 'worked incredibly hard' since then to improve care quality.
Campaigners Demand Realistic Portrayals
Fiona argues that 'keeping these harsh realities away from expectant mothers, shielding them from what could and often does go wrong is insulting to every woman.' Doing so 'suggests they are fragile, unintelligent beings who cannot handle the truth.' She adds: 'You won't ever meet a bereaved family who doesn't wish they hadn't known more information that could have helped to safeguard them.'
In their announcement, Channel 4 executives expressed enthusiasm. Vivienne Molokwu, Senior Commissioning Editor, Reality & Entertainment, stated she felt 'very privileged to once again follow the journey that parents embark on as they welcome their babies to the world.' Will Rowson of production company Dragonfly TV called it an 'exciting moment to reimagine the show' as 'so much around pregnancy and maternity care has changed.'
Growing Public Backlash Intensifies
Campaigners and bereaved parents struggle to share this enthusiasm. One bereaved mother posted on X: 'This is honestly so grim against the backdrop of the state of maternity services in this country. Channel 4 basically saying, avoidable harm & death on a massive scale? Don't look at that, watch our fluffy TV show instead & pretend everything's fine.'
Another wrote: 'Unless they change the name to "One born every minute, one killed every 10 hours 57 minutes by horrific care" then I'm not sure what this show is hoping to achieve in this maternity crisis other than whitewashing the reality.'
Campaign group Families Failed By OUH Maternity Services, advocating for an independent inquiry at Oxford University Hospitals, has urged Channel 4 to 'engage meaningfully with affected families, birth trauma charities and patient safety campaigners, and to ensure the series reflects the full reality of NHS maternity care in 2026, including its very serious failures.'
A spokesman described the announcement as 'deeply troubling in its timing and its apparent lack of contextual awareness,' sending 'a deeply confused message to the thousands of families who are still waiting for accountability.'
Fiona remains dismayed, believing whatever changes occur will 'still feed into the narrative that all clinicians are heroes who are trying their hardest and, unfortunately, that just isn't true.' She argues it won't be possible 'to show the reality of the situation with a programme that is totally one-sided and controlled such as this,' as hospitals would 'never consent for anything deemed negligent to be aired.'
In a statement, Channel 4 responded: 'We are very aware of the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation which has been carefully covered by Channel 4 News. Further, Channel 4 News, jointly with the New Statesman, has concurrently conducted its own maternity investigation into Oxford University Hospitals maternity services.'
'Viewers will remember One Born Every Minute as an observational documentary series following the deeply personal and often complex birth stories of patients. It is not an investigation into maternity care provision across the UK. Filming of this series is yet to begin and Channel 4 retains editorial control of the final programmes.'
