Leeds maternity units criticised on care of black and Asian women

The treatment of black and Asian women has been criticised in a report on hospital maternity services.

NHS England released an equality and diversity review of maternity and neonatal services at St James’s University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary this week.

It found babies from black and ethnic minority communities were more likely to be born prematurely and need admission to neonatal units, while new mums were left “traumatised” and staff faced bullying and discrimination at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust.

The trust, which is already facing an independent inquiry into maternity standards, has apologised and promised “cultural change”.

“Maternal outcomes for black and Asian women remain poorer compared to white women, mirroring national trends,” the report said.

It added that women from asylum-seeking backgrounds also faced “poor communication, lack of cultural awareness and challenges navigating the system”.

The report went on to say there was a lack of breastfeeding support on postnatal wards and translation services were sometimes unavailable, leading to relatives having to act as interpreters.

“Many women feel traumatised by their care due to inadequate after-care packages and a lack of debriefing support,” it said.

“Despite the disproportionate representation of black and Asian babies in neonatal units, there are no diverse images on the walls, only pictures of white babies.”

The report said national evidence showed black women were up to three times more likely to die during or after pregnancy than white women.

In Leeds women were able to raise concerns through the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP). But there was only one MNVP staff member covering both hospitals.

The report added that many women felt their voices were not being heard, resulting in “generally poor experiences.”

Overworked staff faced a “culture of blame” and those from ethnically diverse backgrounds were under-represented in senior roles.

“Staff survey data shows higher reported levels of discrimination, bullying and harassment among black and Asian staff compared to their white colleagues,” the report said.

“Staff have reported feeling unheard and there is no safe space for them to voice their concerns.”

The review was carried out in July as part of NHS England’s Maternity Safety Support Programme.

Staff training, a review of diversity policies and better communication were among a list of recommendations.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals said it had launched an Inclusion and Belonging Plan which set out immediate steps to improve.

Chief nurse Beverley Geary said the findings of the report were “difficult to read”.

“We know that we have not always met the standards of care every family deserves and we are truly sorry for this,” she said.