Committees

Black Maternal Health

Non-inquiry session

Black women in the UK are three times more likely to die in childbirth than White women, highlighting stark ethnic inequalities in maternal health outcomes. A 2022 Women and Equalities Committee inquiry identified systemic barriers, biases, and gaps in care. Several recent policies such as the Maternity Disparities Taskforce and the Women’s Health Strategy have aimed to address these issues, though little progress has been made to improve the variation in positive outcomes for Black women giving birth. This inquiry will assess barriers to progress, examine the effectiveness of current policies and strategies, and explore how local services and community-based care can reduce disparities and improve outcomes for Black mothers.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Wednesday 18 June 2025
9:15am Private
9:30am Public
Black Maternal Health - Oral evidence 18 June 2025
9:30am
  • Janet Fyle MBE (Professional Policy Advisor at Royal College of Midwives)
  • Sylvia Owusu-Nepaul (Programme Director at Birmingham and Solihull United Maternity & Newborn Partnership)
  • Professor Hassan Shehata (Senior and Global Health Vice President at Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG))
10:30am
  • The Baroness Merron (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Patient Safety, Women's Health and Mental Health at Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC))
  • Kate Brintworth (Chief Midwifery Officer at NHS England)
  • Professor Bola Owolabi (Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme at NHS England)
  • Professor Lucy Chappell (Chief Scientific Adviser at Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC))
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Wednesday 14 May 2025
9:15am Private
9:30am Public
Black Maternal Health - Oral evidence 14 May 2025
9:30am
  • Tinuke Awe (Co-founder at Five x More)
  • Clotilde Abe (Co-founder at Five x More)
10:00am
  • Shanthi Gunesekera (Co-CEO at Birthrights UK)
  • Professor Marian Knight (Director at National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, and Professor at Maternal and Child Population Health)
  • Sonah Paton (Co-Founder & Director at Black Mothers Matter)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

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  • Email: hsccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: (general enquiries) 020 7219 6182 | 020 7219 3138 (media enquiries)
  • Address: Health and Social Care Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA