Black Maternal Health

Health and Social Care Committee Open Non-inquiry session
Opened: 6 May 2025 Parliament page
Black women in the UK are three times more likely to die in childbirth than White women, highlighting stark ethnic inequalities in maternal health outcomes. A 2022 Women and Equalities Committee inquiry identified systemic barriers, biases, and gaps in care. Several recent policies such as the Maternity Disparities Taskforce and … Read more
9 Recommendations
11 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
1 Letter
2 Events
Activity timeline 7 events
16 Dec
2025
Report published
17 Sep
2025
Report published
14 Jul
2025
Correspondence
18 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
18 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
14 May
2025
Oral evidence
14 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
18 Jun 2025
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Oral Evidence
Janet Fyle MBE · Royal College of Midwives Kate Brintworth · NHS England Professor Bola Owolabi · NHS England Professor Hassan Shehata · Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Professor Lucy Chappell · Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Sylvia Owusu-Nepaul · Birmingham and Solihull United Maternity & Newborn Partnership The Baroness Merron · Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
14 May 2025
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Oral Evidence
Professor Marian Knight · National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit Shanthi Gunesekera · Birthrights UK Sonah Paton · Black Mothers Matter Tinuke Awe · Five x More
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health HC 895 17 Sep 2025 20 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
20 results
1 Conclusion Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Optional cultural competency training for maternity staff is indefensible given outcome disparities.
Safe maternity care for Black women is dependent on a workforce equipped to understand and respect their needs. Given the current disparities in maternity outcomes for Black women it is indefensible that cultural competency training is optional for NHS staff … Read more
Government Response
The government recognises cultural competency's importance, highlights NHS England's national Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, and commits to a new statutory and mandatory training competency framework for all NHS staff, due to go live by April 2026, which will set out mandated subjects.
Department of Health and Social Care
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2 Recommendation Deferred
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Introduce mandatory, ongoing cultural competency training for all midwives, informed by co-production.
We recommend the Department work with the NHS, the Royal College of Midwives, and the NMC to introduce mandatory, ongoing cultural competency training for all midwives, informed by co-production. A working group should review and update training materials to ensure … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that NHS trust leaders should set clear expectations for tackling racism and outlines work on leader accountability and the establishment of a College of Executive and Clinical Leadership. However, it does not commit to mandatory, ongoing cultural competency training specifically for all midwives or a working group to review training materials.
Department of Health and Social Care
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3 Conclusion Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Current system fails to incentivise NHS leaders to improve Black women's maternity outcomes.
NHS leaders have a vital role in improving maternity outcomes for Black women and addressing the underlying culture and racism that underpin those outcomes. However, the current system does not incentivise leaders to focus on this issue or effectively hold … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of diversifying NHS leadership and details existing initiatives like NHS England's Diversity in Health and Care Partners Program and the CapitalMidwife Anti-Racism Framework. They also mention the ongoing development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan, which included a call for evidence.
Department of Health and Social Care
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4 Conclusion Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Set clear expectations for tackling racism in NHS leadership framework and performance agreements.
The NHS leadership framework should set clear expectations for tackling racism and fostering an inclusive culture, reflected in chief executives’ performance agreements. It must also equip Ministers to hold Trust leaders accountable for creating anti-racist organisations and improving maternity outcome … Read more
Government Response
The government strongly agrees that progress in Black maternal health has been too slow, announcing a national independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services, with Baroness Amos appointed as chair. Its recommendations will inform a national action plan developed by a new National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State.
Department of Health and Social Care
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5 Conclusion Deferred
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Lack of diverse representation in NHS leadership and midwifery education limits care.
Addressing the current lack of diverse representation within NHS leadership and midwifery education is one practical action that can be taken to address concerns. When those entrusted with shaping clinical knowledge and practice and leading our healthcare organisations overwhelmingly reflect … Read more
Government Response
The government provides statistics on increases in the overall midwifery workforce and discusses rising complexities in births and potential digital tools for care. It mentions the 10 Year Workforce Plan but refers to a previous response for details, thereby deflecting from the specific recommendation about strategies for diverse representation in leadership and midwifery education.
Department of Health and Social Care
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6 Recommendation Deferred
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Include targets and strategies in the workforce plan to diversify NHS maternity leadership.
The Government should also ensure the forthcoming workforce plan explicitly includes targets and strategies to diversify NHS leadership, specifically maternity service leaders and educators. This must be 32 accompanied with robust monitoring mechanisms that can be used to track progress … Read more
Government Response
The government details NHS England's collaboration with the RCOG to ensure optimal staffing levels for high-quality maternity care and its work on job planning principles for obstetric consultants. It does not address the recommendation to include targets and strategies for diversifying NHS leadership in the forthcoming workforce plan.
Department of Health and Social Care
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7 Conclusion Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Progress on improving Black maternal health remains too slow despite multiple initiatives.
While there have been multiple initiatives aimed at improving Black maternal health, progress remains too slow. We welcome the announcement of a rapid national investigation into maternity and neonatal care and the Secretary of State’s commitment to inequality being an … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to developing a new surveillance system for severe maternal morbidity (PRiSMM) and implementing a ‘Maternal Care Bundle’ to standardise care across five clinical areas from April 2026. Additionally, NHS England is due to launch a Maternity and Neonatal Equity and Equality Dashboard.
Department of Health and Social Care
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8 Conclusion Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
National investigation into maternity care presents a turning point for equitable services.
We hope that the national investigation will serve as a turning point for the country’s maternity services, and particularly the experience of Black women, by laying the foundation for a more transparent, accountable, and equitable maternity system. We will monitor … Read more
Government Response
The government committed to having a new PRiSMM system regularly report severe maternal morbidity data by region, ethnicity, and deprivation from June 2026, and to creating a new data platform for detailed patient records to help trusts monitor these rates.
Department of Health and Social Care
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9 Recommendation Rejected
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Require the investigation to prioritise racial disparities and consider impact of funding cuts.
We recommend that addressing racial disparities in maternal outcomes is one of the investigation’s core aims, and that this features prominently in the terms of reference for the second stage. We recommend that the investigation aligns with the priorities outlined … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected the premise that maternity funding has been cut, stating that the same level of funding is provided but the ring-fence was removed to allow Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) more local flexibility. It did not directly address the recommendation to make racial disparities a core aim of investigations.
Department of Health and Social Care
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10 Conclusion Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Maternity workforce shortages remain a significant barrier to safe care provision.
Workforce shortages remain a major barrier to safe maternity care, despite recent recruitment progress. We are disappointed the Government suspended its continuity of carer target, which is especially important for marginalised women, including Black women, who face greater challenges in … Read more
Government Response
The government reiterated that maternity services are an ICB priority and that funding remains consistent despite the ring-fence removal. It stated it will monitor ICB investment and is exploring how various health system parts can collaborate to address pre-pregnancy risk factors, listing several existing local and national initiatives.
Department of Health and Social Care
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11 Recommendation Deferred
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Require Government to commit to safe maternity staffing and continuity of carer target.
The Government must give firm commitments in the refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver safe staffing levels for maternity services. Without this, safe and sustainable maternity care will remain out of reach. As part of the workforce plan the … Read more
Government Response
The government highlights increases in the midwifery workforce and reiterates commitment to the continuity of carer model. Regarding firm commitments in the refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan, they state they are working through how the plan will articulate changes for different professional groups, including midwives and obstetricians.
Department of Health and Social Care
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12 Conclusion Acknowledged
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Suspension of RCOG safe staffing tool undermines maternity workforce stability.
Suspending adoption of RCOG’s safe staffing tool has left Trusts without clear guidance on safe staffing levels, perpetuating poor workforce supply and undermining efforts to stabilise and support maternity teams. (Conclusion, Paragraph 64) 33
Government Response
NHS England acknowledges the importance of clear staffing guidance and is collaborating with the RCOG to produce a set of principles and expectations for obstetric consultant job planning, which they aim to share soon to support optimal staffing levels in maternity services.
Department of Health and Social Care
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13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Require the Department to update and publish the RCOG maternity staffing tool.
We urge the Department to update and publish the tool produced by RCOG in time for the rollout of the upcoming refreshed Workforce Plan, so that every maternity unit can use it to plan effectively, ensure appropriate staffing and deliver … Read more
Government Response
NHS England is collaborating with the RCOG to produce a set of principles and expectations to guide job planning for obstetric consultants at trust level, aiming to share this work as soon as possible to support planning for optimal staffing levels, rather than explicitly updating and publishing the original RCOG tool.
Department of Health and Social Care
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14 Conclusion Acknowledged
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Insufficient ethnicity data on maternal morbidity prevents monitoring and improving outcomes.
Collecting robust, consistent, and equity-focused data on ethnicity and maternal morbidity is essential to enable health services to monitor and improve their services guiding improvements in maternal outcomes. Without it, it is significantly harder to produce accurate comparisons across all … Read more
Government Response
The government strongly agrees on the essential role of robust ethnicity data for improving maternal outcomes and outlines the Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan, including five areas for action, a new PRiSMM surveillance system by Q1 2026, and a Maternal Care Bundle by April 2026.
Department of Health and Social Care
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15 Conclusion Acknowledged
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Government agreement on an Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan is welcomed.
We are pleased that the Government has agreed an Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan and look forward to seeing the details when it is published. (Conclusion, Paragraph 80)
Government Response
The government strongly agrees on the importance of robust ethnicity data and provides details of the Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan, which includes 5 areas for action, a new PRiSMM surveillance system by Q1 2026, and a Maternal Care Bundle by April 2026.
Department of Health and Social Care
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16 Recommendation Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Require the Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan to include training and accountability for reporting.
We recommend that this Plan should include details on staff training, support for data collection, and accountability measures to ensure Trusts meet their responsibilities. The Government must establish transparent mechanisms to monitor compliance and address failures in timely, accurate reporting, … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, outlining that its Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan includes staff training resources, regular reviews of ethnicity data completion, and improvement work to ensure accurate recording and monitoring of inequalities. A new PRiSMM surveillance system and a Maternal and Neonatal Equity and Equality Dashboard will also support monitoring.
Department of Health and Social Care
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17 Recommendation Accepted
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Accelerate development of the maternal morbidity indicator and provide a clear timetable.
We are concerned that progress on developing a maternal morbidity indicator has been unacceptably slow, despite a Government commitment to do so over two years ago. We recommend the Department work with the National Institute for Health and Care Research … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that developing a severe maternal morbidity indicator is critical and commits to it regularly reporting by June 2026. It details ongoing work with researchers and the PRiSMM system to update the indicator and create a new data platform for monitoring.
Department of Health and Social Care
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18 Conclusion Rejected
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Reduced Maternity Service Development Fund risks widening disparities and compromising critical reforms.
We are concerned by the Government’s decision to cut the Maternity Service Development Fund from £95 million to £2 million. While ICBs still have access to this funding, maternity services must now compete with other local priorities. While performance metrics … Read more
Government Response
The government asserts that maternity funding has not been cut, explaining the ring-fence was removed to provide local ICBs with greater autonomy and flexibility to meet local needs, a move consistent with wider policy. They clarify that NHS England does not commission maternity services, which is an ICB responsibility.
Department of Health and Social Care
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19 Recommendation Rejected
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Restore dedicated ring-fenced funding for maternity care Service Development Fund to £95 million.
We strongly recommend that the Government restore the dedicated ring- fenced funding for the Service Development Fund for maternity care to £95 million. Properly targeted we believe this investment has the potential to reduce the substantial cost of maternity negligence … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected the recommendation to restore ring-fenced funding for maternity care, explaining that while funding levels are maintained, the ring-fence was removed to provide local healthcare system leaders with greater autonomy and flexibility.
Department of Health and Social Care
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20 Recommendation Acknowledged
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Set out how Government will monitor ICB investment and intervene in maternity services.
More broadly, the Government must ensure that maternity services continue to be a priority within ICB funding allocations. We ask the Government to set out in its response to this Report how it will monitor ICB investment in these services, … Read more
Government Response
The government states that maternity services remain a core priority for ICBs and commits to continuing to monitor ICB investment in these services. They highlight existing national priorities and efforts to address pre-pregnancy health factors, but do not provide specific new details on how monitoring or intervention will occur.
Department of Health and Social Care
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Government Response AI assessment · 20 of 9 classified
Accepted 8
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 4
Deferred 4
Rejected 3
Total 9 recs + 11 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
14 Jul 2025 Correspondence from Baroness Merron re Black Maternal Health
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