Almost half of NHS trusts in England lack earmarked maternity funds

Almost half of the NHS trusts in England have no earmarked funding set aside to cover staff members who are on maternity leave, the Guardian reported on November 8, 2026. The findings come from an analysis of freedom of information requests sent to trusts across England by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. [1]

positional data from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy revealed that 49 percent of the NHS trusts surveyed had neither a dedicated budget nor an established policy to permit overspending to pay for maternity cover, according to the Guardian. The analysis raised fresh concerns regarding staff pressure, with physiotherapy services being hit particularly hard compared with other healthcare sectors such as nursing. [1]

The Guardian reported that where maternity funding does exist, physiotherapy appears to be treated less favorably than other healthcare disciplines within the NHS trusts. [1]