Released on: 19 March 2021
On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21st March), NCT supports Birthrights’ call for a national inquiry into racial injustice in maternity services.
The 2018 and 2019 MBRRACE reports showed that Black women were five times more likely to die during pregnancy or giving birth than white women. The reports also found that mixed-race women were three times as likely, and Asian women twice as likely, to die than white women.
The higher mortality rates among Black, Asian and minority ethic women during the perinatal period are unacceptable and growing attention and action on this issue is vital. We are supporting the work of the racial equality taskforce led by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and have also launched a programme of inclusion, community and partnership work to help bring about better experiences and more equitable outcomes.
Now, the women’s rights organisation Birthrights is actively gathering evidence about the maternity care experienced by Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in the UK.
In addition, it would also like to know about instances of racial injustice experienced by healthcare professionals working within the maternity services and how they were affected.
Birthrights is also calling for experts in the field to submit any evidence to help the organisation’s key lines of enquiry into racial injustice. These include what they think racism and bias look like in maternity care in the UK, how it manifests differently for specific ethnic groups, and how racism and bias impact on birth outcomes and maternity care experiences.
They ask that any existing published or unpublished evidence be sent to inquiry@birthrights.org.uk. Find out more here.
If you are an individual wishing to submit evidence, click here.
If you are a healthcare professional wishing to submit evidence, click here.
NCT’s article on what you need to know about Covid-19 if you’re Black or Asian and pregnant is here.
