The circle of life: birth and death

I start this week’s blog, with the sad news that Jason Arday has died. Although there has been no official cause of death announced, it appears the campaign of misinformation, and media hounding proved too much. As I noted last week in my blog, such intense and often unfair media scrutiny would undoubtedly have an impact on his mental health and wellbeing. Sadly, it seems I might have been right. Whatever else people might think, Jason was a father, brother, son, and partner. I hope he is finally able to rest in peace.

On a slightly more positive media topic, every week, NHS England posts an online news update. Last week’s headline included the announcement of the ‘Big Conversation’ giving people a chance to say what they expect/want from a National Care Service. However, it wasn’t this announcement, as welcome as it was, that caught my attention. It was an article further down the newsletter. It talked about the hundreds of thousands of women, who have accessed the morning-after pill in the first five months, since it was made available free of charge. Up until March this year 305,000 doses of the morning after pill were dispensed. The report doesn’t make it clear if this was 305,000 women though.

It is a brilliant intervention. As well as getting the morning after pill, women can also get advice about contraception and even take away a supply of contraceptive pills without the need to see their GP. In the 12 months to February 2026, the number of new women starting regular contraception doubled to 115,000. It’s a great example of preventive and health-promoting care. Reading the story, however, drew me down a new rabbit hole; one where I was left wondering whether this service contributes to the declining birth rate?

Indeed, birth rates have been steadily falling since 2010. In 2025, the UK saw its lowest number of live births, some 585,000, which was 10,000 fewer than year before. It was also the lowest overall figure since 1977. This meant that the estimated number of children born per woman was just under 1.4 in 2025. In order for countries to maintain a healthy population, the fertility rate needs to be more like 2.1 children per woman. It’s a worrying trend for future generations.  

Whilst there has been an overall decline in fertility rates, the most dramatic fall is to be found in those women aged 20-24 and 25-29 age groups. These are the so-called Generation Z. Today, the average age of first-time mothers is 30.9 years. It’s perhaps easy to see why women might be choosing not to have children. Clearly people have more choice over how they want to live their lives. We live in an increasingly turbulent and volatile time, and many will feel it’s not the best time to bring children into such a world.

It’s also an increasingly expensive world. The rise in the cost of living has not abated. Many people today are focusing on career pathways, getting a better salary, getting onto the housing ladder (40% of people aged 25 are living with their parents). Many women in Generation Z don’t see marriage, as something they necessarily want. Whether in a relationship or not, many men and women are happier with the freedoms not having children allows them. I’m a Baby Boomer, and moving closer to the death point on the circle of life and death. But I do worry not only for Generation Z, but the new Generation Alpha folk (those born after 2013).

There was one more baby* story last week, that as a provider of health care, left me feeling very challenged. I attended a webinar hosted by Penny Dash, Chair of NHS England. It was an opportunity to discuss the outcomes of both the Amos and Ockendon reviews into maternity services. These reviews showed both poor quality and unsafe practices were sadly the norm across too many maternity services. We heard some of the verbatim evidence submitted by parents who had experienced poor care and from some, who had lost their babies at birth. It was harrowing, and I could understand the fear that women might have in contemplating the birth of their child.

Interestingly for me, it was folk from mental health services, who were the most vocal contributors to the webinar, perhaps recognising the importance of compassionate care. One of the ‘take home’ messages for me was the notion that when things go wrong, which unfortunately they sometimes will, an apology should not simply be an event, but should be thought of as a process. Something, perhaps, the detractors of Jason Arday might want to think about.

 

*Actually, there were two other baby stories – the second one noted that the most popular date for giving birth is 28^th September, and has been for several years, and in England and Wales, babies are least likely to be born on Boxing Day.