Released on: 14 April 2023
Responding to the London Assembly Health Committee report on maternal health and care in London, Elizabeth Duff, Senior Policy Advisor at NCT, said:
"The findings in this report echo the poor experiences of many women across the country who gave birth during the pandemic. Maternity services in London were understaffed and overstretched and women were failed at almost every stage of their care, from antenatal scans to postnatal support.
"Reduced staffing and visitor restrictions resulted in women often feeling isolated and abandoned, leading to poor mental health and lack of confidence in early parenting. We welcome the recommendation for further community support so parents can address their mental health concerns and feel assured to care for their babies.
"Disparities in care for Black, Asian and other ethnic minority women compared to white women worsened through the pandemic. It is unacceptable that maternity workers do not have sufficient understanding of how to care for people from ethnic minority backgrounds because of the colour of their skin or the language they speak. We fully support the focus on further education and training to provide equitable care for all.
"While maternity services in London may differ from elsewhere, hospital trusts must listen and learn from these past failures. This starts with dedicated funding for investment in staff recruitment and training, so that everyone receives the safe and personalised care they deserve."
You can read the full report here.
