Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
3rd Report - Black Maternal Health
Health and Social Care Committee
HC 895
Published 17 September 2025
Recommendations
16
Accepted
Require the Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan to include training and accountability for reporting.
Recommendation
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, …
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Government Response Summary
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
Accepted
Accelerate development of the maternal morbidity indicator and provide a clear timetable.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response Summary
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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Conclusions (6)
1
Conclusion
Accepted
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, …
Government Response Summary
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.
3
Conclusion
Accepted
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 to account Trusts that fail to make progress.(Conclusion, Paragraph 36)
Government Response Summary
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.
4
Conclusion
Accepted
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 inequalities. (Recommendation, Paragraph 37)
Government Response Summary
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.
7
Conclusion
Accepted
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 integral part of its work. (Conclusion, Paragraph 43)
Government Response Summary
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.
8
Conclusion
Accepted
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 the progress of the inquiry closely and intend to revisit …
Government Response Summary
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.
10
Conclusion
Accepted
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 being heard by the healthcare system. (Conclusion, Paragraph 62)
Government Response Summary
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.