A government-commissioned review into maternity safety in England was allegedly sanitized days before publication to remove criticism of the 'normal birth drive' - a campaign that, according to multiple inquiries, has contributed to avoidable deaths and harm. Dr. Bill Kirkup, a former member of the inquiry team, told the BBC he resigned over the deletion, saying, 'I don't think it's right that we should push this under the covers.' The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation report, published Tuesday, concluded that a 'normal' birth agenda was not a contributory factor to poor outcomes - a finding that surprised many campaigners, given that between 2007 and 2017, the Royal College of Midwives actively promoted vaginal delivery without interventions, a stance criticized in reviews for causing harm. Kirkup claimed a version of the report including such criticism was signed off by 'a significant number of people' but vanished eight days before publication. Baroness Amos, who led the review, declined to comment. Maternity safety campaigner James Titcombe, who lost his son due to poor care, said he felt 'profoundly betrayed' and called for transparency. Meanwhile, author and midwife Leah Hazard welcomed the review's conclusion, arguing there is 'no evidence that normal birth ideology exists in any definable way.' The review did find that women were repeatedly not listened to, and recommended appointing a maternity commissioner - a proposal ministers accepted.