City council addresses community experiences around clinical care in new pregnancy and infant mortality report

Birmingham City Council in partnership with health and voluntary organisations, publish a report highlighting the lived experiences and recommendations to make healthier choices in women’s pregnancy.

Across the UK, the rate of infant mortality has been declining since 2001 but in Birmingham infant mortality rates have been statistically high for many years, almost twice the national average.
This informed the collaborative approach between Birmingham City Council, Local Maternity Neonatal System (LMNS) along with supporting NHS Trusts and voluntary organisations, to develop and commission ‘Seldom Heard Conversations about Pregnancy’, a report which aims to highlight the national decline in infant mortality and the clinical care given to families and patients during pregnancy.

The report identifies key themes discussed throughout:

• Importance of relationships, sex, and health education
• Cultural awareness and disparities 
• Trust and transparency
• Nourishment during pregnancy
• Perinatal mental health and wellbeing support during pregnancy
• Awareness of services, support 
• Communication between healthcare professionals and patients
• Health literacy

The review further establishes recommendations to consider the experiences of the people who shared their stories and reflect on current practices, addressing the needs to ensure it translates into appropriate actions.
The work also draws on findings from the ground-breaking Birmingham and Lewisham African Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR) in relation to health inequalities and disproportionate mortality rates affecting Black mothers and babies. The report from the review highlights specific actions to improve local maternal health services and support within the community, the implementation of which has already begun. Like the review itself, this involves co-production with local Black African and Black Caribbean communities.

Councillor Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said:

"Making healthy choices during pregnancy is vital for both mother and infant but is dependent on access to information and relevant support, which is what this report seeks to improve. I commend the collaborative effort of the council and partners to highlight these conversations and develop this report. Listening to mothers and expectant mothers is so crucial in working towards an improved service as their voices and experiences must be heard. I believe this work is an important contribution to reducing the infant mortality rate in Birmingham.’’

Marion Gibbons, Assistant Director of Public Health at Birmingham City Council, said:

"There has been a lot of discussion about the voices of 'seldom heard communities' within the context of maternity services and maternal health. I consider this report contributes how listening to women in our communities is crucial to improving services.”

Lisa Stalley-Green, Deputy Chief Executive, Chief Nursing Officer and Maternity Safety Champion, Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board, said: 

“The report brings together some much-needed feedback from the communities we serve and gives an opportunity for people working in services to better understand the things that will make a real difference to women and families across our diverse population. 

"Everyone wants each woman or family to have a positive experience and every baby to have the best possible start in life, and that stems from fair and equitable services that respond to the needs of a young and diverse city.”