An increasing number of patients are resorting to hiring private midwives, with some paying up to £8,000, due to dissatisfaction with NHS services. The Portland, the UK's sole private maternity hospital, has observed a surge in women seeking their care. This trend follows a recent report by MPs, highlighting instances of labouring women facing mockery, neglect, and enduring permanent harm due to the actions of midwives and doctors within the NHS.
Professor Geeta Nargund, Senior NHS Consultant and Founder of CREATE Health Foundation told Asian Voice, “Our research into BAME women’s experiences in pre-pregnancy care found that BAME women were 1.5 times more likely to report having had an experience of feeling discriminated against by healthcare professionals than White women, which is simply not acceptable Respondents to our research stated that they felt like it was a constant fight to be given the same treatment during and post pregnancy – a battle no woman should be fighting during what can be an emotionally and physically difficult time.
“It is essential that these inequalities are addressed; there is no longer room for systemic bias in our healthcare system. Instead, advice, care and treatment should be personalised to the individual and carried out with their ultimate health outcome as the utmost priority. Women must feel listened to and supported throughout the process and improvements to healthcare professional training, increased funding and more varied data collection will improve the health outcomes for pregnant women universally. We must ensure that our healthcare system works for the whole population.”
The rising trend of patients opting for private midwives underscores a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with NHS maternity services, as evidenced by the surge in women seeking care at Portland, the UK's only private maternity hospital. Addressing systemic biases, enhancing healthcare professional training, and allocating more resources are crucial steps toward ensuring equitable and improved health outcomes for all pregnant women.
