Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Optional cultural competency training for maternity staff is indefensible given outcome disparities.
Conclusion
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)
Government response summary AI-generated
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.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
The government recognises that cultural competency is a critical skill for all maternity staff, including midwives. The government is clear that demonstrable progress on reforming midwifery education must be made, to reflect modern maternity care needs. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the UK, and nursing associates in England. It sets the standards that registrants must meet to demonstrate that they are capable of practising safely and effectively, which includes a standards framework for midwifery education and training. Since the publication of an independent report into NMC’s culture in July 2024, NMC has undergone a series of leadership changes (including appointing a new chair and chief executive) with increased external monitoring through the Professional Standards Authority’s Independent Oversight Group on which Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) officials sit. NMC has also undergone significant cultural changes to address these concerns. NMC has developed a 3-year Culture Transformation Plan, which began earlier this year. This includes: • embedding equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the organisation • ensuring values-based decision-making that puts patient safety and modern care principles at the centre • creating an environment where staff can challenge outdated practices Cultural competency training for maternity services staff is part of the core competency framework, which sets out clear expectations for NHS trusts. It ensures that training to address significant areas of harm is included as a minimum core requirement and standardised for every maternity and neonatal service. Over 20,500 maternity staff have completed the e-learning module to date. While this training is not mandated, NHS trusts are expected to cover the training from a list of topics included in the core competency framework, identified from: • unit priorities • audit report findings • locally identified learning
Read the full response on Parliament ↗