Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 pregnant women receive advice on their vitamin D intake.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Advice on vitamin D is available at NHS.UK and the social marketing campaigns Start4Life, Better Health and Healthier Families. This includes messaging aimed at people from ethnic minority groups with dark skin and pregnant women.
In December 2020, a marketing campaign raised awareness of the importance of taking a vitamin D supplement over the winter months. The campaign was promoted using social media, email programmes and websites. This included paid advertising focused on black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Additionally, messages were delivered by black and Asian healthcare professionals on popular radio stations.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline focuses on how to increase supplement use to prevent vitamin D deficiency among specific population groups, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with dark skin. The guideline also includes recommendations for local authorities, National Health Service trusts, and voluntary and community organisations, as well as healthcare professionals such as general practitioners and midwives.
The Healthy Start scheme provides an opportunity for health professionals and others working with pregnant women and families to offer encouragement, information and advice on issues such as healthy eating, breastfeeding, and vitamins. As part of the scheme, pregnant women and new mothers can receive a supplement which contains folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D.
To address maternal health disparities during the pandemic, the Chief Midwifery Officer also wrote to Local Maternity Systems to ensure that hospitals discuss vitamins, supplements, and nutrition in pregnancy with all women. While we have not taken specific steps to raise awareness of the impacts of vitamin D deficiency in educational facilities, nutrition and healthy eating is taught in schools as part of design and technology and Relationships, Sex Education and Health Education.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the impacts of vitamin D deficiency in educational facilities.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Advice on vitamin D is available at NHS.UK and the social marketing campaigns Start4Life, Better Health and Healthier Families. This includes messaging aimed at people from ethnic minority groups with dark skin and pregnant women.
In December 2020, a marketing campaign raised awareness of the importance of taking a vitamin D supplement over the winter months. The campaign was promoted using social media, email programmes and websites. This included paid advertising focused on black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Additionally, messages were delivered by black and Asian healthcare professionals on popular radio stations.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline focuses on how to increase supplement use to prevent vitamin D deficiency among specific population groups, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with dark skin. The guideline also includes recommendations for local authorities, National Health Service trusts, and voluntary and community organisations, as well as healthcare professionals such as general practitioners and midwives.
The Healthy Start scheme provides an opportunity for health professionals and others working with pregnant women and families to offer encouragement, information and advice on issues such as healthy eating, breastfeeding, and vitamins. As part of the scheme, pregnant women and new mothers can receive a supplement which contains folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D.
To address maternal health disparities during the pandemic, the Chief Midwifery Officer also wrote to Local Maternity Systems to ensure that hospitals discuss vitamins, supplements, and nutrition in pregnancy with all women. While we have not taken specific steps to raise awareness of the impacts of vitamin D deficiency in educational facilities, nutrition and healthy eating is taught in schools as part of design and technology and Relationships, Sex Education and Health Education.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 raise awareness of the impacts of vitamin D deficiency in Black and Minority Ethnic communities.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Advice on vitamin D is available at NHS.UK and the social marketing campaigns Start4Life, Better Health and Healthier Families. This includes messaging aimed at people from ethnic minority groups with dark skin and pregnant women.
In December 2020, a marketing campaign raised awareness of the importance of taking a vitamin D supplement over the winter months. The campaign was promoted using social media, email programmes and websites. This included paid advertising focused on black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Additionally, messages were delivered by black and Asian healthcare professionals on popular radio stations.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline focuses on how to increase supplement use to prevent vitamin D deficiency among specific population groups, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with dark skin. The guideline also includes recommendations for local authorities, National Health Service trusts, and voluntary and community organisations, as well as healthcare professionals such as general practitioners and midwives.
The Healthy Start scheme provides an opportunity for health professionals and others working with pregnant women and families to offer encouragement, information and advice on issues such as healthy eating, breastfeeding, and vitamins. As part of the scheme, pregnant women and new mothers can receive a supplement which contains folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D.
To address maternal health disparities during the pandemic, the Chief Midwifery Officer also wrote to Local Maternity Systems to ensure that hospitals discuss vitamins, supplements, and nutrition in pregnancy with all women. While we have not taken specific steps to raise awareness of the impacts of vitamin D deficiency in educational facilities, nutrition and healthy eating is taught in schools as part of design and technology and Relationships, Sex Education and Health Education.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 support community organisations tackling vitamin D deficiencies.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Advice on vitamin D is available at NHS.UK and the social marketing campaigns Start4Life, Better Health and Healthier Families. This includes messaging aimed at people from ethnic minority groups with dark skin and pregnant women.
In December 2020, a marketing campaign raised awareness of the importance of taking a vitamin D supplement over the winter months. The campaign was promoted using social media, email programmes and websites. This included paid advertising focused on black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Additionally, messages were delivered by black and Asian healthcare professionals on popular radio stations.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guideline focuses on how to increase supplement use to prevent vitamin D deficiency among specific population groups, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with dark skin. The guideline also includes recommendations for local authorities, National Health Service trusts, and voluntary and community organisations, as well as healthcare professionals such as general practitioners and midwives.
The Healthy Start scheme provides an opportunity for health professionals and others working with pregnant women and families to offer encouragement, information and advice on issues such as healthy eating, breastfeeding, and vitamins. As part of the scheme, pregnant women and new mothers can receive a supplement which contains folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D.
To address maternal health disparities during the pandemic, the Chief Midwifery Officer also wrote to Local Maternity Systems to ensure that hospitals discuss vitamins, supplements, and nutrition in pregnancy with all women. While we have not taken specific steps to raise awareness of the impacts of vitamin D deficiency in educational facilities, nutrition and healthy eating is taught in schools as part of design and technology and Relationships, Sex Education and Health Education.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports that Black and Asian women are more likely to die in (a) pregnancy and (b) childbirth than white women in the UK.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The latest MBRRACE-UK report on maternal deaths occurring in 2017 to 2019 identified a small decrease in the maternal mortality rate for women from black, Asian and mixed ethnic groups. However, there was no substantive change in the disparity in mortality rates between women from black ethnic groups or women from Asian and white ethnic groups.
On 23 February 2022, we announced plans to establish a Maternity Disparities Taskforce to tackle disparities and reduce maternal and neonatal deaths by improving access to effective pre-conception and maternity care for women from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas. The Taskforce will bring together experts from across the health system, Government departments and the voluntary sector.
On 6 September 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement published guidance for Local Maternity Systems, which focuses on actions to reduce disparities in health outcomes for women and babies from black, Asian and mixed ethnic groups and those living in the most deprived areas. This includes an investment of £6.8 million to support the implementation of local action plans.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what specialist treatment is available for mothers suffering post-natal depression in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
In Coventry and Warwickshire, the commissioned perinatal mental health pathway provides treatment for post-natal depression including specialist multi-disciplinary team assessments, a dedicated perinatal specialist general practitioner and advanced nurse practitioners who are early years specialists.
In the West Midlands, support is provided across the Black Country and West Birmingham for early identification of post-natal depression and access to specially trained staff. In the Birmingham and Solihull area, there are the Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Community Services and the Acacia Young Parent’s Project. In the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area the Maternal Mental Health Service offers targeted psychological interventions.
The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment for a further 24,000 women to access specialist perinatal mental health care by 2023/24. Specialist community perinatal mental health services have now been deployed across England and we are expanding access to talking therapies within specialist perinatal mental health services through 26 hubs by April 2022.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that pregnant women receive equitable care during (a) pregnancy and (b) childbirth.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
On 23 February 2022, we announced plans to establish a Maternity Disparities Taskforce to tackle disparities for mothers and babies and reduce maternal and neonatal deaths by improving access to equitable maternity care for mothers and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.
On 6 September 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement published their Equity and Equality guidance for Local Maternity Systems to reduce disparities in health outcomes for women and babies from black, Asian and mixed ethnic groups and those living in the most deprived areas. This includes an investment of £6.8 million to support the implementation of local action plans.
Evidence that suggests continuity of carer is most effective for vulnerable and disadvantaged women. By 2024, we have committed that 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.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the forthcoming Women’s Health Strategy will tackle health inequalities, including in maternal health for Black, Asian and ethnic minority women.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Work is ongoing to develop the Women’s Health Strategy, which will tackle health inequalities and address improving outcomes for mothers and babies, including a focus on reducing maternal and neonatal disparities. The Women’s Health Strategy will be published in spring 2022.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will establish an inquiry into the difference in the average incidence of deaths of Asian and Asian British babies each year.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
A confidential enquiry into perinatal deaths of black/black British babies is currently being undertaken by the MBRRACE-UK Maternal, Newborn and Infant Clinical Outcome Review Programme. The Department has no current plans to concurrently establish an inquiry into the rates of stillbirth and neonatal deaths among Asian and Asian British babies.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
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 improve maternal outcomes for black women.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
To support NHS maternity services improve maternal outcomes for black women, NHS England and NHS Improvement published ‘Equity and Equality: Guidance for Local Maternity Systems’, which can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/C0734-equity-and-equality-guidance-for-local-maternity-systems.pdf
This guidance asks Local Maternity Systems (LMS) to produce an equity and equality analysis (covering health outcomes, community assets and staff experience) by 30 November 2021 and to co-produce an equity and equality action plan by 28 February 2022.
LMS are being asked to include evidence-based interventions that have been demonstrated to improve maternal outcomes in their action plans: implement maternal medicine networks with key performance indicators relating to outcomes and equalities; offer referral to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme to women with a previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis who are not currently pregnant and do not currently have diabetes. Women of Black African, Black Caribbean and South Asian ethnic groups are at high risk of developing GDM, so this intervention helps improve prevention and early detection of Type 2 diabetes; implement maternal mental health services with a focus on access by ethnicity; ensure personalised care and support plans are available to all, which has a positive impact on health inequalities; ensure the Maternity Voices Partnerships reflect the ethnic diversity of the local population, to encourage the uptake of services among those that may be reluctant to get involved and design interventions that are relevant to the local population, improving outcomes for black women.
LMS are also being asked to include plans to deliver the NHS Long-Term Plan commitment for targeted and enhanced Continuity of Carer with 75% of women from Black, Asian and Mixed ethnic groups receiving Continuity of Carer by 2024 and additional midwifery time to support women from the most deprived areas. Women who receive Continuity of Carer are 16% less likely to lose their baby and have an improved experience of care.
NHS England and NHS Improvement are providing £6.8m to support LMS to implement their Equity and Equality Action Plans.