Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve (a) maternity and (b) perinatal outcomes.

NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services is making good progress in rolling out new services to improve maternity and perinatal outcomes. All local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans setting out local action to tackle ethnic inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes; all 150 maternity and neonatal units in England are currently part of the Perinatal Culture and Leadership programme; there are important improvements to safety through version three of Saving Babies Live Care Bundle; and families are being engaged more through additional funding for Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships.

NHS England is also rolling out perinatal pelvic health services and maternal mental health services to reduce rates of perineal tears, provide additional mental health support and improve outcomes for women.