Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Conclusion 1
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Published 17 Sep 2025
Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care Committee Black Maternal Health All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
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 and leaders working in maternity services, and especially midwives. (Conclusion, Paragraph 26)
From: Health and Social Care Committee, 3rd Report - Black Maternal Health (HC 895), 17 September 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 16 December 2025 (deadline 17 November 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and says it shares its view that disparities for Black women and babies are unacceptable, agreeing with several recommendations while pointing to existing programmes and an independent investigation.
- On mandatory cultural competency training, the government recognises it as "a critical skill" but says the training "is not mandated"; trusts are "expected to cover the training" from the core competency framework topics.
- The government agrees on diversifying NHS leadership, and says the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, which all trusts are "expected to complete by 2027", will support this.
- On the investigation, the government says it "strongly agrees" that progress has been too slow, and that the final report and recommendations of the Baroness Amos investigation will be published in spring 2026.
- On funding, the government says "Maternity funding has not been cut" and the ring-fence was removed to give local leaders more autonomy, so it does not restore the ring-fenced £95 million; it says it "will continue to monitor ICB investment".