The Committee will receive an update from the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust regarding work to address inequalities in maternity care.

The Committee received a presentation from Christine Harding, Director of Midwifery, Royal Berkshire Hospital, on work being undertaken to address inequalities in maternity care.

The Committee were provided with the following information:

• The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust was the main provider of maternity services for the population of Reading, Newbury, Wokingham and the towns and villages of west Berkshire.
• 5800 bookings per year for maternity care and 4600 births.
• On a typical day 13 babies were born across three different settings.
• There was more awareness around birth inequalities following publication of confidential inquiries for families from the global majority and high deprivation.
• A clinical dashboard was being redeveloped to collect data to help understand the population and outcomes relating to certain recognised protected characteristics and to support service improvement.
• Engagement work was being undertaken with groups such as Enthusiastic Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership.
• Maternity services were promoted during Black History Month and to help build relationships.
• Community Engagement leads had been appointed.
• A new provider for translation services had been piloted to give instant access to a face to face interpreter via video call on an I-pad which could be wheeled into any clinical environment.
• Access to services were being improved for appointments and working with black women to help improve health outcomes.
• A Neuro Diverse Pathway was being developed to support patients with the development of an education tool kit ‘grab bag’ for midwives to give 1 to 1 sessions. The project would be developed across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
• A Continuity of Care Team provided antenatal, labour and postnatal care for women in areas of high deprivation. Evidence had shown this had an impact on the reduction of perinatal mortality.
• A series of pregnancy after loss care pathways had been introduced to ensure that women received the best possible care in pregnancies after a loss. 

The Committee discussed the report and presentation and thanked Christine for the information.

The Chair requested that a more detailed report be provided to the Committee in 12 months with specific data regarding the Global Majority women (BAME) and further information regarding the translation services.

Resolved – That a further report be submitted to the Committee in 12 months to include data specific to the Reading area.