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 that ethnic minority women are adequately represented in the development of national maternity care (a) policies and (b) guidelines.

It is unacceptable that there are stark inequalities for women and babies. It is a priority for the Government to make sure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.

We recognise the importance of ethnic minority women being adequately represented within the development of policies and guidelines. Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships are one such forum in place that ensures these voices are at the heart of the decisions made in maternity and neonatal services. These partnerships listen to the experiences of women and families, and bring together service users, staff, and other stakeholders to plan, review, and improve maternity and neonatal care. At a local level, 27% of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships leads are from ethnic minority groups. NHS England has provided support to improve the ethnic diversity of Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships.

NHS England also has in place a National Service User Voice Group, which informs the development of national maternity care policies and guidelines. 35% of NHS England’s National Service User Voice Group leads for maternity and neonatal care are from an ethnic minority group.