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Written question asked by Baroness Davies of Devonport (Conservative) on Monday, 20 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 3 August 2026. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Maternity Services: Standards

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of regional disparities in maternity safety outcomes.

Answer

It is important that all women and babies receive safe, equitable, and compassionate care, regardless of where they live. All local areas have equity and equality action plans in place, which set out tailored interventions that tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic backgrounds and those living in the most deprived areas.

NHS England receives annual national surveillance reports from Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK), which provide comprehensive assessments of maternal safety outcomes, including regional variation, inequalities, and risk factors associated with poor outcomes. These reports identify areas where disparities exist and inform national and regional improvement priorities.

Findings and recommendations from the reports are shared with accountable National Health Service leadership teams, which are responsible for implementing targeted improvement actions to reduce unwarranted variation, address inequalities, and improve the safety and quality of maternity care across England.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL2309
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Standards Maternity services
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk