The publication today of the Black Mental Health report confirms what we have long known – that systemic racism and disparities in maternity care are failing Black women and birthing people in England.
The Report has been informed by the evidence our former co-CEO Shanthi Gunesekera gave to the Health and Social Care Select Committee and reinforces the urgent need for decisive action.
We agree with the Committee’s acknowledgement of deep-rooted inequities that incur significant human and financial costs.
The call-out against the government suspension of its continuity of carer target is vital for informed consent, personalised and equitable care. It is especially important for marginalised women and birthing people, who already face greater challenges in being heard by the healthcare system.
And we are encouraged by the Report’s recommendations that align with core principles of social and reproductive justice – demanding that the government:
- Implement mandatory, ongoing cultural competency training for all midwives, informed by co-production
- Address the current lack of diverse representation within NHS leadership and midwifery education
- Restore the dedicated ringfenced funding for the Service Development Fund for maternity care to £95 million (It was cut from £95million to £2million with the rest going to the general pool of ICB funding, meaning maternity services must compete with other areas)
- Ensures that addressing racial disparities in maternal outcomes is one of the key aims of the rapid national investigation into maternity and neonatal care (The report also recommends that the investigation aligns with the priorities outlined by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body, specifically the defining of an accountability framework for maternity and neonatal services.)
While we agree with many of the tangible, sensible recommendations and that our evidence was heard and included in the report, we must not let this be just ‘another report’.
We must make sure the most marginalised are no longer the ones most at risk. And maternity and community organisations must be meaningfully involved in all solutions proposed.
Now is the time for the Government to move beyond the recommendations and take decisive, legally binding action.
We demand that the human rights of all women and birthing people – including safety, dignity, autonomy and equality – are respected and upheld in maternity care.
We reiterate our call for a SAFE Maternity Care Act to uphold the human rights of all women and birthing people to choose where, how, and with whom they want to give birth, and to ensure the state meets its obligation to provide safe, respectful, and accessible care for all.