A Southwark Labour councillor, who had a ‘traumatic’ pregnancy herself fifteen years ago when she found herself and her baby at risk, said she was ‘shocked’ to hear that nothing had changed.
In the UK, women from black ethnic groups are four times more likely to die in pregnancy than those from white groups, and women from Asian ethnic backgrounds are almost twice as likely.
This startling statistic from a national report last year has prompted a councillor to act.
Cllr Evelyn Akoto, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said she had her own experiences of a ‘traumatic’ pregnancy and childbirth fifteen years ago – which is driving her to want to see change.
“My son or I could have died,” she told us. “It was the most traumatic experience I have been through as a woman.”
She explained that her body at the time did not react the way it should: “I didn’t quite understand and I kept saying, ‘No, something’s happening to me’ – but I was fobbed off.”
“No one spoke to me about complications.”
Cllr Akoto said it was her mother who demanded that she be seen again. “She begged for them to take me in. And when they checked they realised actually, we need to get the baby out right now.”
“Thankfully we both came out of it alive.”
In light of the ‘shocking’ statistics and her own experience as well, Cllr Akoto has now founded the Southwark Maternity Commission – the first of its kind – to review the extent of the problem in south London.
The Commission will facilitate a series of panel meetings, face-to-face listening exercises and online options to share experiences of maternity care.
It aims to raise awareness about having a safe pregnancy and birth and improve services to reduce inequalities relating to ethnicity, and social disadvantage, and what can be done to create equity of care.
With 40 per cent of Southwark residents being from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, she highlighted how important change is, commenting: “If we don’t get it right here no one has got any chance.”
In fact, Cllr Akoto told us some Black women are now saying they don’t want to have a baby in London because they just don’t trust the system.
“One man actually said that his daughter is afraid to have a child in London so she’s going outside of London to go private.”
“I was thinking maybe things are improving.
“But the more I hear from mothers about how they feel they’re treated when they go into the maternity ward – how they’re still not listened to, their needs are not being adhered to – it’s still the same.”
Her advice to black and ethnic minority women who are pregnant in the UK right now: “Don’t be afraid to raise it if you have an issue. And if you’re not confident, bring an advocate with you.”
“As a black woman, you don’t want to come across as a troublemaker. But don’t be afraid to speak out.”
The Commission panellists are keen to hear from those who commission maternity services, those working on the frontline and those who experience their care.
Its purpose is to see where and why there are gaps in care concerning ethnicity, social disadvantage and other complex factors, and what can be done to create equity of care.
Cllr Akoto added: “I know the NHS are working really hard to address this. It’s not a blame game. But all of us need to come together with one aim of reducing these numbers.”
How to have your say?
– Fill in the online maternity care survey for women and their families
– Click here if you want to take part in a focus group on maternity care
– Click here if you want to take part in a one-to-one interview about maternity care
– Attend one of the panel meetings: for information, visit the Maternity Commission webpages