£50m initiative aims to tackle disparities in maternal healthcare

A £50m maternity consortium will bring together UK clinicians, researchers and communities to tackle the most critical gaps in maternal care.

Funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research has established the NIHR Inequalities Challenge: Maternity Disparities Consortium under the leadership of the University of Birmingham and Newcastle University.

Higher education bodies, NHS organisations, community groups and voluntary organisations from across the UK will work together through the programme.

The NIHR has committed £50m over five years to support research led by clinicians, researchers and communities across the consortium.

Professor Joht Singh Chandan, consortium co-lead for research at the University of Birmingham, said: “National attention on maternity safety and equity has never been greater, but ambition must now be matched by evidence and implementation.

“Through this consortium, we will work across the UK to understand what works, for whom and in what contexts, and to ensure that research leads to practical changes in care for the women, babies and families who need them most.”

The launch comes at a pivotal moment for UK maternity care, with growing national attention on improving safety, equity and women’s experiences of care.

The government’s renewed Women’s Health Strategy highlights the need to improve care before and between pregnancies for underserved communities.

Against that backdrop, the consortium will generate the evidence, interventions and research capacity needed to help turn national ambition into practical improvements for women, babies and families.

University of Birmingham is leading work to improve maternity care pathways across the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods.

Antenatal care covers pregnancy before labour, while intrapartum care refers to care during labour and birth.

The consortium will examine how women and families can be better supported before pregnancy and between pregnancies.

This includes improving access to advice and care that can help people prepare for pregnancy, manage existing health conditions and reduce risks before they build up.

Other research will focus on improving care during pregnancy, birth and the early weeks after birth.

This will include work on major causes of poor maternal health, such as high blood pressure, diabetes in pregnancy, obesity, perinatal mental health and complications during recovery after birth.

Professor Judith Rankin OBE, consortium co-lead for research and capacity development at Newcastle University, said: “This funding represents a critical opportunity to make the step change we need to improve outcomes for women and their babies.

“Alongside the research, the Consortium will be investing in tomorrow’s research leaders today to ensure we have the capacity to deliver on improving pregnancy outcomes, access to, and experience of, care.”