On Tuesday 9th February, an urgent inquiry was launched investigating the alleged systemic racism in the NHS’s maternity care
With the support of UK charity Birthrights, the inquiry will examine how claimed racial injustice – from explicit racism to bias – is resulting in poorer health outcomes in maternity care for ethnic minority groups. According to statistics published last month by MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the country) black women were four times more likely than white women to die in pregnancy or childbirth in the UK while women from Asian ethnic backgrounds face twice the risk.
Barrister Shaheen Rahman QC, who is expected to lead the inquiry, in a statement to The Guardian said, “In addition to these stark statistics there are concerns about higher rates of maternal illness, worse experiences of maternity care and the fact black and Asian pregnant women are far more likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid-19. We want to understand the stories behind the statistics, to examine how people can be discriminated against due to their race and to identify ways this inequity can be redressed.”
An expert panel that includes a human rights lawyer, a clinical negligence solicitor, doulas – trained healthcare companions – obstetricians and midwives will oversee the inquiry. Rahman will be supported by two co-chairs, including Benash Nazmeen, director of the Association of South Asian Midwives Association of South Asian Midwives.
A new role of head of midwifery research has been created by NHS England to focus on health inequalities associated with maternity outcomes for mothers and babies from black, Asian and ethnic minority families.
