In the UK, Black and Asian women, as well as those living in the most deprived areas, have a higher risk of dying during and up to six weeks after pregnancy than White women. (Statistics taken from a UK report on deaths in mothers: MBRRACE-UK ‘Saving Lives Improving Mothers’ Care 2023’ report)
Southwark is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country. 40% of our population are born outside the UK. This means these inequalities likely affect a high proportion of our residents.
What the Commission aims to achieve
Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Southwark Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing formed the commission to:
- capture the lived experience of people giving birth in Southwark
- hold meetings, listening exercises and ways for women and families to share their experiences
- raise community awareness about having a safe pregnancy and birth
- bring about changes in maternity care to help reduce maternity inequalities such as deaths of people giving birth
- provide a message of solidarity to the people of Southwark
Who was involved
The commission was led by:
- Councillor Evelyn Akoto, Southwark Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing
- Professor Dame Donna Kinnair
- a panel of maternity experts
Over 750 residents and maternity care professionals were involved in the work.
Themes and recommendations
The commission developed five themes during six public meetings from January to September 2024:
- tackling discrimination and better supporting women with specific needs
- making sure women are listened to and supported to speak up, whatever their language or background
- providing women with the right information at the right time in the right way
- joining up council and NHS services better around women’s needs, and making sure care is consistent across borough borders
- supporting the workforce to remain in their roles and be able to give compassionate and kind care for all mothers
The commission’s final report recommends:
- leadership in addressing racism that leads to unequal maternal health*
- developing a new national way of reporting maternal health*
- reviewing the maternity workforce*
- evaluating the fairness of maternity services
- listening to and empowering families
- preparation and support before pregnancy
- giving parents the right information, at the right time, in the right way
- creating a joined-up approach to families’ needs between the NHS, south east London boroughs, and voluntary and community sector
- that Southwark Council review their role in maternity care
- reviewing how feedback is dealt with
*Recommendations 1 to 3 are asks of Government.
These recommendations will be used to support change to reduce causes of inequality and underpin a local action plan.
For more information on the report email
In the news
Read the latest articles and social media posts about the Southwark Maternity Commission.
- Southwark News, 31 Jan 2024
- Five x More CIC on Instagram, 30 Jan 2024
- The Motherhood Group on X, 29 Jan 2024
- South London Press, 25 Jan 2024
- News from Crystal Palace, 25 Jan 2024
- Sky News, 13 May 2024
What’s next
We want to see the recommendations put in to action over the next few years.
- Sep 2024: organisations commit to change
- Oct 2024 to Apr 2025: development of action plan
- Apr 2025 to Sep 2025: three-year interim review
- Sep 2025: five-year final review