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Maternity Services: Women

Asked by Mr Tanmanjeet Singh DhesiLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 11 November 2024UIN 12711

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of maternal health inequalities affecting black women.

Answered by Karin Smyth

It is unacceptable that there are such stark inequalities in maternal outcomes. The Government is committed to closing the black and Asian maternal mortality gap. We are urgently considering the immediate action needed to tackle inequalities for women and babies in maternity care.

A key objective in NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, which we are currently supporting them to deliver, is to reduce inequalities for all in maternity access, experience, and outcomes, seeking to improve equity for mothers and babies. Ongoing assessment of the impact of our policies and programmes is vital to ensuring that we improve outcomes and tackle inequalities.

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