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
8 results
Clear
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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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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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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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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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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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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