Lord Ara Darzi’s report on the independent investigation of the NHS in England has been published.
The report once again shows that our maternity care system is in crisis; and it disproportionately impacts the most marginalised women and birthing people.
We need change.
While the Government pledges the “biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth”, we want to iterate that any reimagining must put women and birthing people’s voices and rights at the very centre of how maternity services are designed, and must radically tackle the systemic racism that pervades within every part of the maternity care system.
We know that this is possible by ensuring that everyone involved in maternity care understands and upholds the rights for all of us throughout pregnancy, birth and in the postnatal period.
That is why we are calling for a new SAFE Maternity Care Act – an act to ensure Safety, Accountability, Freedom of Choice and Equity are at the core of the maternity system.
We need a SAFE Maternity Care Act
We have set out our calls for a new SAFE Maternity Care Act to make crystal clear how the law applies to all those who manage, deliver and regulate maternity care. There has never been a more critical time to face up to the realities of systemic racism and take collective action to dismantle it.
Either everyone has human rights, or no one does.
If you are concerned about the maternity care you are receiving and believe your rights are not being respected, you can contact Birthrights’ advice and information team.
Contact Birthrights’ Advice ServiceBirthrights also delivers training to those who design, deliver, manage and regulate maternity care to increase awareness and understanding of how Human Rights law applies to maternity care and why this is critical to the delivery of safe care.