Kate Lightly

Obstetrician interested in global women's health, improving outcomes through research and medical education

[Asma Khalil @ProfAsmaKhalil]

📢 Published today: the latest State of the Nation report from the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit (NMPA).

This report provides an important national picture of maternity care, drawing on data from 593,475 women and birthing people who gave birth to a singleton baby across NHS maternity services in England, Scotland and Wales in 2024.

There are important findings that deserve attention.

🔹 How women give birth is changing. Vaginal birth without instruments has fallen from 62.3% in 2015/16 to 46.4% in 2024, while rates of planned and unplanned caesarean birth have increased. These changing patterns have significant implications for maternity workforce, theatre capacity and postnatal services.

🔹 Inequalities in accessing maternity care remain. Almost a quarter (24.4%) had their first booking appointment after 10 weeks. The rate among Black women and birthing people was 2.1 times that of white women and birthing people, and later booking was also more common among those living in the most deprived areas.

🔹 There has been progress in the care of babies who are small for gestational age. The proportion of SGA babies born at or after 40 weeks has fallen from 55.4% in 2015/16 to 41.4% in 2024 — but variation between countries remains.

The report also identifies important gaps in our national maternity data, including the reasons for induction, caesarean birth and clinician-recommended birth. Better data are essential if we are to understand variation and improve care.

As Senior Clinical Lead for Obstetrics for the NMPA, I am proud to have contributed to this work.

The findings should not simply describe maternity care — they should help us improve it. We need to use these data to support safer, more equitable and better-resourced maternity services for women, babies and families.

Read the report and explore the data:
🔗 https://t.co/reqG5sPLfo

#NMPA #MaternityCare #MaternitySafety #MaternalHealth #PerinatalHealth #Pregnancy #NHS @nhs @nhsengland @royal-college-of-obstetricians-and-gynaecologists @the-royal-college-of-midwives @twinstrust

[Asma Khalil @ProfAsmaKhalil]

Following the publication of the recent Ockenden Review findings, and wider media scrutiny of maternity care in the UK, including Sky News’ recent coverage, there is an important question for all of us working in and around maternity services.

Reviews can identify what needs to change. The harder task is making sure those recommendations become part of everyday practice across the system.

That means moving from reports and action plans to practical implementation: clear escalation pathways, safe staffing, consistent training, better communication with families, transparent governance, and systems that support staff to raise concerns early.

How do we make sure the lessons from maternity reviews lead to sustained, measurable improvements at scale?

#MaternitySafety #MaternalFetalMedicine #Obstetrics #PatientSafety #MaternityCare

[The BMJ @bmj_latest]

Clinical updates: Assessment and management of suicidal ideation in adults
https://t.co/yEEc75fkX6

[Tanya @resp_mat_pract]

This is what I receive when I message my editor at Wiley for a selfie with my book!!
Who knew that kittens have such amazing editorial skills?! ☺️🥰🤣
Thank you Tom!

[Tanya @resp_mat_pract]

Which is my favourite chapter?
Can you guess?
@SisterShawnRM @adweeks @evitafernandez6 @WileyGlobal @HeatherB_RCM @midwifehelz @LightlyKate @Stringer4Kate

[Kate Lightly @LightlyKate]

https://t.co/TDT5rm6NRq

[GLOWM @glowm_wow]

À toutes les mères qui ont connu un travail long et douloureux : l’accouchement devrait être source de joie, et non de douleur persistante. ❤️
Si vous souffrez de fuites d'urine ou de selles après un accouchement difficile, cette lésion médicale s'appelle une fistule. Ce n'est pas de votre faute, et cela peut se guérir.
S'il vous plaît, partagez ce message avec vos sœurs, vos mères et vos amies au sein de votre communauté.
Regardez cette courte vidéo de GLOWM pour en savoir plus : https://t.co/qJsrBz5Z2v
#SafeMotherhood #HealthCare #GLOWM #InternationalDayToEndObstetricFistula #MaternitéSansRisque #Santé pour tous
@lightlykate @ProfBasky

[GLOWM @glowm_wow]

To every mother who had a long, painful labor: childbirth should bring joy, not ongoing pain. ❤️
If you leak urine or stool after a difficult birth, this medical injury is called a fistula. It is not your fault, and it can be cured.
Please share this with sisters, mothers and friends in your community.
Watch this short GLOWM video to learn more: https://t.co/9eeTgXD2XS
#SafeMotherhood #HealthCare #GLOWM #InternationalDayToEndObstetricFistula
@lightlykate @ProfBasky

[ISUOG @ISUOG]

PCOS has a new name - Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). An accurate name for a condition affecting 170 million women globally. Patients & professionals working together from the start.
#ISUOG is proud to have played a role
More at: https://t.co/UtOZBjMx9M
#PCOSnamechange #PMOS #PCOS

[Asma Khalil @ProfAsmaKhalil]

💙 𝗧𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲 — 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Today is the 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲 — and a chance to recognise the colleagues who hold maternity care together.

🌟 In every clinic I run, every theatre I operate in, every NHS unit I work across — midwives sit at the heart of safer pregnancies, safer births and better outcomes for newborns.

To the midwives I work alongside:
🏥 At St George's
🏥 At Liverpool Women's Hospital
🏥 In my private clinics
🌍 And across the global maternity community

Your 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲, your 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲, and your 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 change lives — every single day. Thank you.

#InternationalDayOfTheMidwife #IDM2026 #Midwives #MaternityCare #ThankAMidwife @LiverpoolWomens @CityStGeorges @MidwivesRCM @ThePortlandHosp

[Dr. Catharine Young @DrCatharineY]

A generation growing up with the HPV vaccine may never face cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers the way previous generations did.

An astonishing medical feat - and
a reminder of what science makes possible.

[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @DrTedros]

Today, on International Workers Day, I honour the millions of health workers around the world, and all my @WHO colleagues, whose dedication saves lives, promotes health, and brings hope to communities every day.
Your courage, compassion and commitment are the foundation of stronger, fairer, healthier societies.
Thank you. #HealthForAll

[Dr Dan Goyal @danielgoyal]

Remember the NHS before 15 years of Tory austerity..

Same day GP
95% seen within 4 hours in A&E
No queuing ambulances
92% specialist treatment within 18 weeks
85% started cancer treatment within 62 days

It’s not the NHS model that’s the issue, it’s our choice of leadership!

[Neil Stone @DrNeilStone]

ZERO cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in women under age 25 in Australia 🇦🇺

None . Nada . Zip.

For the first time since records began!

How did this happen?

One word

VACCINES!!!!!

[Catriona Waitt @CatrionaWaitt]

The #MILK_CENTRE @At_The_EQUATOR team can now celebrate! I very much look forward to the next few years of generating evidence to support the safest and most effective use of medicines in breastfeeding mothers and their infants

@IDIMakerere @NIHRglobal @wellcometrust

[Tanya @resp_mat_pract]

So excited! 🎉
My textbook (with a chapter with Dr. Shawn Walker) is going to press & will be available v. soon.
Before you expect me to become wealthy & be able to buy you all expensive gifts🎁-I will not take any money💰so that the sale price is lower. Sorry to disappoint you😂

[Eileen Dudley @EileenDudley10]

@LightlyKate can you share within your network please ? 🤗

[WDI.Afghanistan @WDIAfghanistan1]

Today, the world celebrates education day.

But In Afghanistan, millions of girls woke up with nowhere to learn.

So on this International Day of Education,
remember Afghan girls.

[Alexander Heazell @MCR_SB_Research]

Working with parents and professionals, we have updated the #stillbirth priority setting partnership. These are the top-12 research priorities for stillbirth in the UK. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and to Tommy's for funding and @LindAlliance for supporting

[Angela:Quality & Safety Matron for Maternity. @MWFetalHeart]

Lancet Publication: systematic review and meta analysis of all available evidence in relation to paracetamol in pregnancy:
https://t.co/BgrTnKvxDf

NO evidence to support a link between paracetamol and ASD, ADHD or intellectual disability.