Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 1
Third Report - Black maternal health
Published 18 Apr 2023
Paragraph 19
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Black maternal health All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The causes of the appalling disparity in maternal deaths are multiple, complex and still not fully understood. Fixating on any one cause risks over-simplifying the problem and placing blame on the very women who are most at risk. Too many Black women have experienced treatment that falls short of acceptable standards, and we are concerned that the Government and NHS leadership have underestimated the extent to which racism plays a role. The maternity workforce must be properly equipped to understand and recognise the significant disparities that exist, and to use that knowledge to deliver personalised, effective and respectful care. Health Education England must lead a co-ordinated review involving the National Midwifery Council, General Medical Council, Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, to ensure that both the training curricula and continuing professional development requirements for all maternity staff include evidence-based learning on maternal health disparities, its possible causes, and how to deliver culturally competent, personalised and evidence-led care.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, Third Report - Black maternal health (HC 94), paragraph 19, 18 April 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 30 June 2023 (deadline 18 June 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and states it remains "committed to tackling maternal inequalities", but declines several of the Committee's specific recommendations while pointing to existing NHS England work.
- On the Maternity Disparities Taskforce, it is "happy to update the Committee on a six-monthly basis", but "will not publish minutes" or measures for gauging the Taskforce's success, giving reasons relating to openness of discussion and flexibility.
- On a cross-government target and strategy for eliminating maternal health disparities, it does "not believe a target and strategy is the best approach" and will instead measure progress through the Equity and Equality Guidance metrics.
- On training, NHS England "will carry out a scoping exercise" on co-ordinating the proposed review; on the maternal morbidity indicator, the Department of Health and Social Care "is considering how this can be delivered", with no timescale given.
- On Taskforce membership, it considers the current membership "sufficient" and does not commit to reserved seats. It states that all local maternity systems "will publish their equity and equality action plan by 31 March 2024".