Lessons We Can’t Ignore: Translating Evidence on Black Maternal Health into Health Visiting Practice

1st September 2026

Over the last year, a vast number of reports have exposed the issues of healthcare services continuing to fail Black mothers and their families. The most recent of these reports is Baroness Amos’ independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England, published in July 2026. It highlights ongoing themes experienced by women, families and staff: 

• Women are not being listened to, heard or believed – highlighted by Baroness Amos as a core, recurring issue.
• Racism and discrimination are experienced throughout the maternity and neonatal system and severely impact maternity outcomes for both service users and staff. 
• Chronic understaffing – years of under-investment have depleted workforce numbers, hampering safe, compassionate and effective care. 
• Outdated services – maternity and neonatal structures have failed to adapt to modern clinical realities and changing demographics; service design and planning is slow to respond to safety and demand requirements. 
• The system is fragmented, with poor multidisciplinary teamwork and inconsistent standards across NHS trusts placing mothers and babies at avoidable risk.   

To address these, the report makes the following recommendations, many of which are to be completed within 12 months: 

1. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) must create a statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner, introducing legislation into the Health Bill at the earliest possible opportunity, and appointing a Commissioner within six months of Royal Assent.
2. DHSC, NHSE, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and NHS trusts must take action to listen to the voices of women, birthing people and families within 12 months. 
3. DHSC, NHSE and CQC must drive improvement, within 12 months, of the quality, transparency, oversight and accountability of investigations and ensure learning is captured and acted upon when things go wrong.  
4. DHSC/NHSE must design a Modern Service Framework for maternity and neonatal services within 12 months and begin rollout within 18 months. 
5. DHSC, NHSE, ICBs, NHS trusts, the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) must treat racism, discrimination and inequality as a critical maternity safety issue – within 12 months, with work starting immediately. 
6. DHSC/NHSE must clarify existing system governance, oversight and accountability structures and improve the effectiveness of regulatory oversight within nine months. 
7. DHSC, NHSE, ICBs and NHS trusts must work with colleges, universities, postgraduate educators and others to improve culture and teamworking, and strengthen leadership at all levels of the system and across professions within 12 months. 
8. DHSC/NHSE must deliver estates and digital systems that are fit for modern maternity and neonatal care with 12-month, five-year and 10-year investment commitments and implementation deadlines.  

As health visiting teams, our families cannot afford for us to think that the issues Black women and their families face are only in maternity and neonatal settings. We need to understand this learning and look at how we can make changes to our services to drive change and improve the experience of and outcomes for Black mothers and their families. 

Join us at our Insights Xtra webinar – Thursday 17 September 2026, 3:00pm – 4:30pm

To help us learn from the maternity and neonatal report, our next Insights webinar will be on this topic: Lessons We Can’t Ignore: Translating Evidence on Black Maternal Health into Health Visiting Practice.

We will be joined by leading experts who will help us translate this national maternity and neonatal learning to local health visiting practice:  

Alison Morton, CEO, iHV will co-chair the session with Prof. Gina Awoko Higginbottom MBE, Emeritus Prof Ethnicity and Community and Health, Co-Director ICCHNR, Health Visitor and Midwife. 

We will hear presentations from:  

• Prof. Gina Awoko Higginbottom MBE. Gina will be presenting “From Evidence to Action: Addressing Inequalities in Black Maternal Health” she will explore why inequalities in Black maternal health demand urgent attention, summarise the latest evidence and national developments, and consider what this learning means for health visiting teams and the families they support. 

• NHS Race Health Observatory will be sharing the work they are currently involved in for tackling racism in health care. As part of their session, they will be sharing resources they have developed to support practitioners in both their professional and service development.

• Susan Ibuanokpe, Antenatal Educator, Maternal Health Advocate and Peer Researcher – Susan will be sharing her lived experience of health visiting and how she now uses her voice to drive change as a maternal health advocate, and more recently as a peer researcher. 

• David Midwinter, Community Practice Educator; Health Visitor; Midwife – David will be sharing how training has impacted his knowledge, understanding and practice when working with different communities. And how he has used co-design with local communities to tailor health visiting services to their needs. 

• Join the conversation – there will be a Q&A session with all speakers at the end of the webinar. 

Due to the breadth and depth of presentations, please note this webinar will be longer than usual – lasting 1.5 hours. 

To join us, please click below and book your space. 

This is open to all iHV members.

A recording of the webinar will be available on our website following the event.