Question reference: S6W-08752
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 30 May 2022
-
Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 June 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Birthrights report, Systemic racism, not broken bodies, on racial injustice and human rights in UK maternity care.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of Birthright’s report - Systemic Racism, not Broken Bodies , published on 23 May 2022 - and we are considering its findings carefully, alongside the actions and recommendations from all audit reports and the MBRRACE-UK confidential enquiries. Our expectation remains clear: that mothers and babies receive high-quality, person-centred maternity care, tailored to their needs, with quality and safety central to decision-making.
We are participating in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Race Equality Taskforce . The Scottish Government’s Senior Medical Officer for Maternity and Women’s Health is a member of the Taskforce, which will make recommendations for actions in maternity services to tackle the inequity in outcomes for pregnant women and babies from minority ethnic communities.