Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure continuity in NHS midwifery care.

The ambition for the National Health Service in England is for midwifery continuity of carer to be the default model of care for maternity services, and available to all pregnant women. We have committed that by 2024, 75% of women from a black/black British and Asian/Asian British ethnic background and women from the 10% of neighbourhoods that are most deprived nationally will receive continuity of carer.

Continuity of carer will be enhanced for women from the most deprived areas and there will be additional midwifery time and/or additional staff dedicated to women from these areas with the highest health and social care needs. In advance of this, most pregnant women from black, Asian and mixed ethnicity backgrounds and also from the most deprived areas will be placed on a continuity of carer pathway in 2022.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are investing £6.8 million to support Local Maternity Systems to co-produce and implement their equity and equality action plans, including the implementation of continuity of carer for black, Asian and mixed ethnic groups and those living in the most deprived areas.