STRUCTURAL racism continues to result in poor maternity care outcomes for black women in England, a new report confirmed today.

The health and social care committee’s parliamentary inquiry into black maternal health heard how women are more than twice as likely to die during or after pregnancy, compared with their white counterparts.

Racism was described as “one of the core drivers” of poor outcomes, with women ignored and their concerns “not taken seriously.”

MPs heard examples of discriminatory treatment, including a midwife blaming a slow labour on an “African pelvis.”

Another mother was told that, as a “big and strong” black woman, she could “handle the pain,” even as she was losing a concerning amount of blood.

The report called for NHS staff to be given mandatory cultural competency training, along with education on the specific medical needs of pregnant black women.

A 2023 Royal College of Midwives (RCM) survey identified 95 per cent of midwifery educators as white, prompting warnings that the lack of diversity means the health needs of black women are often under-represented in training.

The committee noted that the crisis in care is happening in the context of a maternity system that is “failing women more broadly.”

The NHS has faced an estimated £27.4 billion bill for maternity negligence since 2019, more than the total maternity budget over the same period.

The government has launched a national investigation into maternity care, expected to conclude in December.

Acting committee chairwoman Paulette Hamilton said: “In-built structural racism in maternity services repeatedly fails black women.

“Acknowledging this and addressing racial disparities in maternal outcomes must be one of the investigation’s core aims.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it will publish recommendations to reduce inequalities as part of the probe.

“We’re already taking action to improve maternity care, including launching an anti-discrimination programme, training thousands more midwives, and introducing new standards to tackle leading causes of maternal mortality.”

RCM’s head of policy and practice Clare Livingstone said: “That black women are at greater risk during pregnancy and birth is a disgrace.

“The recommendations in this report must be acted upon urgently and everyone in maternity services must work together to tackle these shocking disparities.”