THE ROYAL College of Midwives (RCM) has launched a new campaign to tackle discrimination in maternity services and better support black and minority ethnic (BAME) pregnant women in their care.

According to the union ethnic background continues to be the most common reason for discrimination in the NHS.

The results of the 2019 NHS Staff Survey published earlier support this claim.

Discrimination

The survey found that over 45% of staff said they had experienced discrimination based on their ethnic background.

The RCM’s Race Matters campaign is based around five key pledges to its members:

• Training for all RCM staff and activists to support and empower them to recognise and challenge racist behaviour.
• Listening and learning from all members to reflect their experiences accurately and actively use what we have learnt to influence and promote positive change in the workplace.
• Using our position, both as an organisation and through our reps, to challenge discriminatory behaviour in the workplace.
• Ensuring that the RCM at every level is representative of the membership we serve.
• Supporting research and championing positive change in outcomes for pregnant women from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Gill Walton, CEO of the RCM said: “We know we haven’t always got it right, but we are determined to change and be a positive force for our members and the women they care for. 

‘Unacceptable’

“It is unacceptable that black and Asian midwives and MSWs are more likely to experience bullying at work, more likely to face disciplinary processes and less likely to advance in their careers and this is something we must tackle more aggressively than we have done in the past. 

“It is also vital that RCM workplace representatives are aware of the Workplace Race Equality Standard. This can help them support and protect our members in the workplace and make sure that they are not discriminated against.

“This is crucial to delivering safe, high quality maternity care to women and their families. If we are to deliver an inclusive maternity service for all women racism in our NHS must be stamped out and replaced with respect, dignity and compassion for everyone it serves.”