Most births in England are safe despite growing pressures on maternity services, says an independent inquiry published this week. But it warns that the lack of a systematic approach to ensuring safety creates unnecessary risks.

The inquiry focused on the safety of mothers and babies during birth rather than the quality or efficiency of maternity services. It found that stillbirths, infant mortality rates, and maternal deaths related to pregnancy or birth have decreased or remained stable in the past 10 years even though birth rates and the complexity of pregnancies have increased.

However, it also found several problems that it considered undermined a systematic approach to safety. These …