New anti-racism principles for midwifery education are being developed to address persistent inequalities in maternal outcomes, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has said. 

The regulator will work with universities across the UK to incorporate the principles into training programmes from the next academic year. Similar guidance for nursing courses is planned.

The move follows longstanding evidence of poorer outcomes among women from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Persistent Disparities in Outcomes

Data from MBRRACE-UK show that Black women are around three times more likely than White women to die during pregnancy or in the immediate postnatal period, while Asian women also face a higher risk, though the disparity is less marked. 

Between 2021 and 2023, 257 women died during or shortly after pregnancy in the UK, among just over 2 million births — a rate of around 13 per 100,000.  Rates were 28.21 per 100,000 among Black women, 16.74 among Asian women, and 12.44 among White women.

Stillbirth rates are also higher among babies of Black and Asian ethnicity, with the largest disparity seen among Black babies.

"That Black, Asian and minority ethnic women continue to face such stark inequalities in maternity care is a disgrace,” said Gill Walton, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives. “Tackling this must be an urgent priority.”

Changes to Training and Standards

The NMC said the new principles would be developed with input from people with lived experience of maternity care and would be introduced in midwifery education from the next academic year.

Training content is expected to place greater emphasis on recognising and addressing bias, alongside improving safety and quality of care.

The regulator said it would work with approved education providers to make these elements more explicit within curricula.

Professor Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, said racism in healthcare “undermines staff wellbeing and patient safety.”

Rob Hicks is a retired National Health Service doctor. A well-known TV and radio broadcaster, he has written several books and has regularly contributed to national newspapers, magazines, and online publications. He is based in the United Kingdom.