Systemic racism affects maternity care for black women in England, say MPs

Black women in England are still facing poorer outcomes in their maternity care due to systemic racism, alongside failures in leadership and data collection, according to a group of MPs.

Across the UK, black women are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth compared with their white counterparts, while babies born to black mothers are at an increased risk of stillbirth.

A report by the health and social care committee found that these disproportionately poor outcomes in maternity care for black women were due to a combination of factors including systemic failures in accountability and leadership, with black women’s concerns “not taken seriously” due to bias, stereotyping and racist assumptions.

“Safe maternal care for Black women depends on a workforce that listens to, understands and respects their needs,” according to Paulette Hamilton, Labour’s MP for Birmingham Erdington and acting chair of the committee. “Leadership must be effective but it must also be accountable. This report proves that this is not, currently, the case.”

She added that the government’s upcoming investigation into NHS maternity care must be a “turning point” for black women in particular. “In-built structural racism in maternity services repeatedly fails Black women. Acknowledging this and addressing racial disparities in maternal outcomes must be one of the investigation’s core aims,” she added.

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Source: The Guardian, 17 September 2025