Former children’s commissioner Sally Holland will lead the assessment of maternity and neonatal services in Wales for safety and quality.

The panel, including experts like a midwife and neonatologist, will provide recommendations for service improvements.

This is in response to concerns about maternity services in the Swansea Bay area and across the UK. The oversight panel will advise the Health Secretary by the end of the year.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, said: "This assessment will scrutinise maternity and neonatal services across Wales and provide recommendations for how they can be improved.

"I’ve appointed this panel, which has a wealth of expertise within their respective fields, across national health services, to provide invaluable advice aiming to improve both patient care and experience.

"We are undertaking this assessment to gain assurances about the quality and safety of maternity and neonatal services across Wales."

Professor Sally Holland said: "Maternity and neonatal services play a crucial role in ensuring safe and positive experiences for mothers, babies and families at a time in their lives when they need the best possible care.

"In this assessment we will ensure that their voices and experiences are at the heart of our work, and that we identify both excellent practice and areas where improvements are urgently needed.

"I am looking forward to working alongside the expert panel to make sure women, babies and families receive the best care possible, wherever they live in Wales."