Select Committee · Health and Social Care Committee

Black Maternal Health

Status: Open Opened: 6 May 2025 9 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

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 the Women’s Health Strategy have …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health HC 895 17 Sep 2025 20 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
2 Recommendation 3rd Report - Black Maternal Health Deferred

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 they meet the needs of all ethnic groups. (Recommendation, Paragraph …

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 …
Department of Health and Social Care
5 Conclusion 3rd Report - Black Maternal Health Deferred

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 a single demographic, it limits the breadth of what is …

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 …
Department of Health and Social Care
6 Recommendation 3rd Report - Black Maternal Health Deferred

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 and hold Trusts to account for their performance. (Recommendation, Paragraph …

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 …
Department of Health and Social Care
11 Recommendation 3rd Report - Black Maternal Health Deferred

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 Government must commit to rapidly reaching a level of staffing …

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 …
Department of Health and Social Care

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
18 Jun 2025 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) View ↗
14 May 2025 Professor Marian Knight · National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Shanthi Gunesekera · Birthrights UK, Sonah Paton · Black Mothers Matter, Tinuke Awe · Five x More View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
14 Jul 2025 Correspondence from Baroness Merron re Black Maternal Health