Black Maternity Matters: encouraging change through NHS anti-racism education
Earlier in the year, findings from the first inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma left the Government appalled over the 'postcode lottery' of maternity care in the UK, as remarked by MP Theo Clarke. Also highlighted in the report, was the significant disparity in care received by Black women within the maternity care sector.
Research has shown that Black women in the UK are four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than White women, as reported by MBRRACE-UK. Additionally, the latest information shared by the Office for National Statistics reported that the rate of stillbirths among Black babies before or during delivery was 6.5 per 1,000 births, compared to 3.5 per 1,000 for White babies. The difference is stark.
Fieldfisher's medical negligence team knows first-hand that many Black and Asian clients pursuing maternity negligence claims feel strongly that they were not listened to or were poorly treated because of what they perceived as inherent racism from medical staff.
Last month, NHS leaders, midwives and women willing to share their lived experiences, met at the NHS ConfedExpo, to discuss how to improve outcomes in Black maternity care.
During the conference, the NHS Race and Health Observatory outlined the work they had been doing with non-profit organisation Black Mothers Matter in relation to midwifery education. In particular, they introduced one of the projects generated by the partnership Black Maternity Matters; an educational project to offer midwives and maternity healthcare support workers in the West of England educational sessions and peer to peer support on anti-racism. The Black Maternity Matters project has been rolled out by Health Innovation West of England. However, plans to roll out the Black Maternity Matters programme nationally are currently in the pipeline.
Co-founder of Black Mothers Matter, Sonah Paton, hopes that the training will go some way towards tackling the “gap in the skills, competencies or confidence of the workforce to reduce racial disparities” for Black women in maternity care.
The six-month programme emphasises the study of Black history in relation to health services, examining the societal influences that perpetuate myths and falsehoods affecting the results and experiences of Black individuals in the UK. Concentrating on the three key stages of pregnancy and childbirth – before birth (antenatal), during labour (intrapartum), and after delivery (postnatal) – the curriculum fosters understanding, invites scrutiny of existing practices, and highlights areas in need of transformation.
Read more about our maternity negligence and stillbirth claims and hear from clients.