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RCM calls on Government to improve maternity care for black and Asian women 

on 14 September 2020 RCM NHS England Maternity Services Race matters Wellbeing Of Women Safety TUC Specialist Midwives BAME

Maternity care must be made safer for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women, says a Royal College of Midwives (RCM) motion at the TUC Congress today. Highlighting that black pregnant women are eight times more likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19, and Asian women four times as likely, the motion asks the TUC to lobby the Government on the issue, which forms part of the RCM’s Race Matters campaign launched earlier this year. 

Zeenath Uddin, Head of Quality and Safety at the RCM, said: “We urgently need to find out why this disparity in care is happening. This means a root and branch review of the resources needed to improve care, looking at existing research to find out what works and investing in any extra resources identified in the review to make pregnancy safer for black and Asian women.” 

The RCM’s motion calls for greater continuity of care for black and Asian women, which contributes to a healthier and safer pregnancy, and more specialist midwives to support them.  

Zeenath Uddin added, “One of the key pledges in the RCM’s Race Matters campaign is pressing for positive changes for pregnant women from BAME backgrounds, and we will continue to push for this. All pregnant women have a right to safe care and being black or Asian should not mean that your care is less safe than someone who is white. This is not good enough and needs to change and change quickly.” 

In another motion the RCM is calling for an early and significant pay rise for midwives and other NHS staff. 

ENDS 

To contact the RCM media office call 020 7312 3456 or email media@rcm.org.uk.  

Notes to Editors  

The TUC Congress is on 14/15 September 2020. The RCM has also proposed amendments to motions on Ending Racism from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the coronavirus pandemic and health and social care managers from the FDA (The union for managers and professionals in public service). To read the full motions visit https://www.tuc.org.uk/final-agenda-congress-2020. For more information on the TUC Congress visit https://www.tuc.org.uk/Congress2020.  

More information on the RCM’s Race Matters campaign is at https://www.rcm.org.uk/supporting/race-matters/.  

The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/. 

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