Our Statement on the CQC’s report from its review into maternity services.
Preventable harm is not ‘at risk’ of becoming normalised in maternity care; it already is.
The CQC is right to be concerned about the widespread issues found in their investigation, including poor pain management, delayed emergency caesareans, patients left lying in blood-stained sheets with limited access to toilets and showers, and racist discrimination.
These conditions are appalling and a violation of human rights law.
At Birthrights we hear every week of cases where the voices and decisions of women and birthing people are ignored, where their concerns about the care they are receiving are dismissed and their dignity undermined. This includes widespread non-consensual or coercive medical interventions such as vaginal examinations, referrals to social services or the police for making lawful decisions about their care and their body that differ from localised clinical pathways, and access to certain services restricted based on local guidelines.
It shouldn’t be this way.
Human rights legislation makes clear that women and birthing people have the right to dignity and respect during maternity care, to make informed decisions about their bodies and their care including where and how they give birth, and that they have the right to make these decisions free from discrimination, coercion and violence.
But too often there is a lack of understanding of how the law applies to maternity care among the healthcare professionals that deliver maternity care, the managers and commissioners of services or even the regulators.
That is why Birthrights is calling for new legislation – a SAFE Maternity Care Act that ensures Safety, Accountability, Freedom of Choice and Equity are at the core of the maternity system. Read more about our calls for new legislation here.
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.
Birthrights 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.