Black Maternity Matters

Black Maternity Matters is a ground-breaking collaboration, supporting perinatal teams to reduce the inequitable maternity outcomes faced by Black mothers* and their babies. It will support maternity systems to offer safer, equitable care for all.

Did you know?

  • Black women are four times more likely to die during pregnancy or in the postnatal period than White women.1
  • Stillbirth rates of Black and Black British babies are over twice those for White babies.2

Watch our short video for an overview of the Black Maternity Matters story so far. And if you’ve got a bit more time, there’s a 20-minute version of the film here.

In the UK, women racialised as Black continue to face significant disparities in maternal health outcomes, experiencing higher mortality, stillbirth rates, traumatic births and poor perinatal mental health compared to their White counterparts.

The reasons for these disparities are described as a “constellation of biases” – systemic biases preventing women with complex or multiple problems from receiving the care they need ante- and postnatally.

To address these issues, the Black Maternity Matters Collaboration was launched in 2021 for perinatal staff within the West of England, focusing on targeted anti-racism education, theory and practice, peer support, community and quality improvement (QI) transformation projects. We specifically view these issues through an anti-Blackness lens.

Visit the Black Maternity Matters website for programme participants

Statistics show that as a Black woman you are four times more likely to die in childbirth than a White woman. Therefore we have to confront the uncomfortable truths and challenge the inequalities in the structures that are impacting on Black children and their mothers before they are born.

Aisha Thomas, Founder of Representation Matters

About the project

Inspired by Black Mothers Matter’s vision that one day Black mothers will no longer be disproportionately in danger during pregnancy and the first year after birth, the Black Maternity Matters project has been developed by Health Innovation West of England in partnership with Representation Matters and BCohCo.

We are grateful to the Health Foundation for funding the initial pilot of Black Maternity Matters through the Q Exchange programme.

Read the evaluation summary of our initial pilot in Bristol here.

Evidence shows that people need sustained, psychologically safe immersion in anti-racist theory and practice to explore the role of individuals, teams, and systems in perpetuating unsafe care. Our partners at Black Mothers Matter advise that traditional approaches to equity, diversity, and inclusion training are insufficient and do not translate into tangible improvements.

Acknowledging that racism within NHS systems causes poor outcomes and experiences for women and families racialised as Black, we believe that anti-racist action is the only way forward.

Our approach is a transformational programme, based on the following components:

  • In-depth, anti-racist training delivered within a brave space by specialist practitioners with lived experience
    This enables teams to train together, gathering multi-disciplinary clinicians from across trusts to collaborate and connect. The training is delivered through three in-person sessions over six months. Cohorts include multidisciplinary perinatal teams and a senior leadership cohort.
  • Embedding learning into practice
    To support the educational component, participants meet an additional three times as part of the Black Maternity Matters Book Club. Each cohort gets a reading list of three books selected to help them explore and reflect on the learning from the educational sessions and connect to their experience and practice.
  • Turning learning into action
    All participants are encouraged to develop their own quality improvement project to make changes within their work context to transform perinatal services and improve outcomes for Black women and babies. As part of this, participants have the opportunity to attend three CPD-accredited QI workshops and join community of practice sessions themed around areas of anti-racism. The workshops are also available as a self-study resource.
  • An ongoing community
    Once the six-month formal learning is completed, participants are encouraged to remain an active part of the collaborative through regular virtual workshops and learning opportunities. This is supported by a dedicated website, Instagram account and newsletter. We also hold an annual graduation and celebration event. Each cohort identifies a champion to support participants back in their own work setting.
  • Additional inspiration and support
    Participants have access to therapeutic support and guidance from a trained, race- and trauma-informed professional if needed. We host additional opportunities for collaborative participants including Brave Spaces (wellbeing and restorative space for participants racialised as Black) and Race-trauma Informed Care learning days, alongside our rolling programme of expert-led workshops.

We are honoured to have been invited to collaborate on such an important initiative, integral to the future of Black women and children’s health and wellbeing.

Katie Donovan-Adekanmbi, Inclusion and Cohesion Specialist at BCohCo

Progress and impact

We evaluate each cohort of our programme, enabling us to keep making improvements the next time round.

As we move into our fourth cohort in early 2025, we are expanding our evaluation focus to include rigorous analysis of clinical indicators for women and babies racialised as Black.

By the end of 2025 we will have delivered:

  • 10 perinatal cohorts across our three local maternity and neonatal systems in the West of England
  • 3 cohorts of senior leaders
  • 300+ graduates of the Black Maternity Matters programme.

We are currently working with the NHS Race and Health Observatory to formalise our wide range of work into key themes and an actionable framework. We also bring together people from across our Black Maternity Matters community around specialist themes that support the QI work they are delivering within their own organisations.

Evaluation summary of the Black Maternity Matters pilot

Black Maternity Matters pilot evaluation – bitesize version

Black Maternity Matters evidence synthesis (NIHR ARC West)

If you are interested in taking part in the next phase of Black Maternity Matters training, please email  healthinnowest.blackmaternitymatters@nhs.net to find out more.

 

We are so pleased to have this fantastic opportunity to develop this innovative programme to use a QI approach to deliver meaningful, actionable improvements to reduce inequity of outcomes for Black women within maternity systems.

Ann Remmers, Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Lead for Health Innovation West of England

Who is involved in the project?

In November 2024, we produced this 20-minute film to share the story so far of Black Maternity Matters and how we are trying to achieve our vision that one day Black mothers will no longer be disproportionately in danger during pregnancy and the first year after birth.

Collaboration is fundamental to our approach and enables us to push the boundaries on anti-racist training and practice within the NHS.

In our film, you’ll hear from all those involved in getting Black Maternity Matters off the ground, including:

  • Sonah Paton – Black Mothers Matter
  • Aisha Thomas – Representation Matters
  • Katie Donovan-Adekanmbi, BCohCo
  • Noshin Emamiannaenini-Menzies and Ann Remmers – Health Innovation West of England,

as well as several participants who have taken part in the Black Maternity Matters journey and have had their lives transformed as a result.

Contact us

If you would like to get involved in Black Maternity Matter or want to find out more about the project, please email us at healthinnowest.blackmaternitymatters@nhs.net.

References

  1. Knight et al 2019 MBRRACE-UK.
  2. Muglu et al 2019

* The words women and mothers have been used throughout our website content as this is the way that the majority of those who are pregnant and having a baby will identify. It also includes people whose gender identity does not correspond with their birth sex or who may have a non-binary identity.

Related links

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