SYSTEMIC racism in maternity care is putting the safety of black and Asian mothers at risk, according to a report published today, which calls for urgent action to fix the problem.

The report follows a year-long inquiry into “racial injustice” in maternity care by an expert panel chaired by Shaheen Rahman QC, a barrister who specialises in clinical negligence, for the Birthrights charity. 

Existing research shows that black women are four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth and Asian and mixed-race women twice as likely.