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Why CSH is taking collective action to deliver low carbon, equitable maternity care
CSH are proud to be leading one of the most innovative, groundbreaking and comprehensive projects in maternity care in the UK, and in this article we explore why this matters to us and why sustainability and equity in maternity care is so essential.
Maternity services are among the NHS’s most crucial and high-volume services, with over 673,000 births in the UK in 2022. Despite the scale of these services, significant inequalities persist. In the UK, Black women are four times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth compared to white women, and Asian women face twice the risk. Women from the most deprived areas are also more likely to experience stillbirths compared to those from the least deprived areas.
To address these disparities and promote sustainable practices, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) has partnered with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), and the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition (SHC) to deliver the exciting new Taking collective action to deliver low carbon, equitable maternity care project, funded by the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI).
Bringing together experts from across the obstetrics and midwifery professions as well as groups of people with real, lived experiences of pregnancy and birthing, this project will attempt to tackle genuine issues of sustainability and equity affecting maternity care, and support maternity teams to run quality improvement projects to ensure that the innovations identified as part of the project will benefit the whole maternity system and equitably support the needs of everyone using maternity services. Listening to and involving maternity service users is at the very heart of this project, and ensures that innovations in the future of maternity care will be equitable and sustainable for all.
Ready to make a difference?
We believe that by focusing on quality improvement and service redesign projects around these target areas, maternity care can become more equitable and sustainable. These target areas overlap, and many projects will address several simultaneously. For all improvement work, the outcome and experience of the people using the services are key – particularly for those underserved by the status quo.
To learn more about the project, get project updates as they unfold and learn how you can get involved, please visit the project page here:
You can also join our Women’s Health Sustainability Network – an online community committed to tackling the environmental impact of women’s health by sharing knowledge, ideas, and examples of good practice.
Apply for support to deliver a maternity improvement project as part of the Green Maternity Challenge 2024. Applications close 20th September 2024.
This work was commissioned and funded by SBRI Healthcare, an Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) initiative, in partnership with the Health Innovation Network. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of SBRI Healthcare or its stakeholders.