MP's call for £120m maternity unit sparks backlash

An MP has called for a new £120m maternity unit in Oxford – but critics say services are needed elsewhere.

Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, called on the government to deliver funding for the new unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The concerns follow years of concerns about maternity care at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

But campaigners in Banbury, where the Horton General Hospital moved from obstetric to midwife-led services in 2016, have said any new centre should be in their town.

Moran said the current maternity unit at the John Radcliffe is "no longer fit for purpose".

"There is only so far improvement can go without the right facilities," she said.

"To protect privacy and dignity, support safer care and meet future demand, the John Radcliffe Hospital needs a new maternity wing."

On Wednesday, the Care Quality Commission rated neonatal services at John Radcliffe Hospital as "good" following an inspection.

Families affected by traumatic birthing experiences at the hospital have for several years raised concerns about the trust.

A national review led by Baroness Valerie Amos, which spoke to 450 families across 12 hospital trusts, said mothers had reported "dirty corridors, toilets covered in blood... a lack of privacy, a lack of dignity" at the John Radcliffe.

Baroness Amos said the Women's Centre unit was possibly "the worst" building she had seen during her investigation, describing it as "cold, small and cramped".

Moran, who chairs the Commons Health Committee, said she had raised the issue in a Parliamentary debate and launched a petition calling for capital investment to be included in the government's forthcoming maternity action plan.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, she said the unit, which opened in 1972 and was designed for 5,000 births a year, now delivers about 7,000, with some birthing rooms lacking toilets.

She also said some bereaved parents were forced to stay on wards without soundproofed space away from other babies' cries.

However, campaigners from Keep The Horton General - which wants full maternity services to be reinstated at Banbury's hospital - said any new unit should be built in there instead.

Charlotte Bird, from the group, questioned where a larger unit could be built in Oxford given existing space and staffing pressures.

"We haven't run out of space in Banbury," she said. "Oxfordshire is the only county of its size which only has one obstetric unit. Putting a bigger unit in Oxford does not cure the problem."

She said Banbury's catchment area was projected to reach 405,000 within 14 years - nearly half the size of the John Radcliffe's current catchment - and accused Moran of representing only her own constituents.

Responding to the criticism, Moran said she did not want the campaign to pit the two hospitals against each other, and it was likely other areas, including Banbury, would also need investment.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the government was investing an extra £41m to tackle urgent safety risks in maternity and neonatal facilities across England, on top of £145m already committed since April 2025.

OUH interim chief executive Simon Crowther said the trust was "grateful" for Moran's support, adding: "We acknowledge and recognise poor patient experience related to old estate such as our Women's Centre... we are mitigating the impact of ageing buildings wherever possible."