‘National disgrace’ of ongoing disparity facing black mothers and babies
Following a Freedom of Information request from the Guardian, yet more extremely concerning data have emerged regarding inherent racism within NHS maternity care that puts black women and their babies at severe risk.
The data show that the births of babies born to black mothers are nearly twice as likely to need investigating by the maternity safety watchdog for potential failings in care by hospitals and midwives.
As part of the national strategy to improve maternity care, an arm of the Care Quality Commission, the Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations (MNSI), investigates serious incidents of maternal or neonatal death, stillbirths or severe brain injuries to babies. NHS trusts in England must inform MNSI of such incidents to instigate an independent investigation.
The MSNI was previously known as HSIB but changed its name in October 2023.
Between 2020-23, MSNI investigated more than 2,300 cases of baby deaths soon after birth and the deaths of expectant and new mothers. For every 1,000 deliveries by black women, 2.3 investigations were carried out, compared to 1.3 for white women.
The higher rate of investigations highlights that black women have an increased likelihood of experiencing maternal death, stillbirths and their babies suffering serious brain injury around birth.
Statistics published by the Office of National Statistics have indicated for years the racial disparity in numbers of stillbirths and infant deaths and the 2020 MBRRACE report which highlighted the ongoing disparity experienced by black and Asian women and their babies generated outrage, particularly from the campaign group FiveXmore which said it had been reporting racial disparity for years with little impact.
Read the full 2022 FiveXMore report.
Read Iona's Insight about the campaign.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton and the Labour chair of the all-party parliamentary group on black maternal healthcare, said that the fact that the colour of a woman's skin should potentially have a fatal impact when she gives birth was 'a national disgrace', with the head of the Royal College of Midwives describing the issue as 'purely down to institutional racism'.
As the new Labour government finds it feet, all eyes will be focused on whether it acts swiftly on its pledges to prioritise improvements in maternity care, including tackling ongoing racial disparities.
Read my colleague Heidi Brotherton's Insight: Black Maternity Matters NHS anti-racism education