Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department are taking to improve data collection into inequalities in maternal mental health outcomes for Black women and birthing people.

It is a priority for the Government to ensure that all women and babies receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location or ethnicity.

The Department has funded the PRiSMM programme through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. It will report England-wide data on severe maternal morbidity and evaluate the Maternal Care bundle, including an intervention to improve the identification and referral of women at risk of maternal mental health conditions. Data will be available by National Health Service trust, maternal ethnicity and measures including social deprivation, with initial findings due by the end of September 2026.

The first Maternity and Neonatal Equalities dashboard, published in January 2026, includes metrics by ethnicity and deprivation; further metrics, including maternal mental health, are being considered. The dashboard is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/dashboards/maternity-and-neonatal-equalities-dashboard

Baroness Amos’ investigation highlighted the need for better data collection and analysis to address inequities in access, experience, safety and outcomes. The forthcoming National Maternity and Neonatal Action Plan will consider these recommendations alongside those from Donna Ockenden’s review and the forthcoming Thirlwall Inquiry, including further use of data to tackle inequalities across the maternity and neonatal pathway.