15.1 The Black Maternity Matters Story

In the first episode of series 15 of Maternity & Midwifery Hour we are joined by Ann Remmers and Laura Lewinson who will share how Black Maternity Matters, an anti-racist scheme for perinatal teams and senior leaders, is addressing the racist perceptions and behaviours that adversely impact on health outcomes. Inspired by Black Mothers Matter’s vision that one day Black mothers will no longer be disproportionately in danger during pregnancy and the first year after birth. Hosted by: Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert; Host and Curator, Maternity and Midwifery Festivals/Midwifery Hour, Editor, Mayes Midwifery Contribution from: Ann Remmers, Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Lead midwife, Innovation West of England Laura Lewinson, Diversity and Inclusion Lead midwife, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) Biographies Ann Remmers Ann is the Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Lead midwife for Health Innovation West of England, specifically focussing on the delivery of the regional and national Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP). Ann is a midwife and previously worked for a number of years in NHS Trusts in Bristol as a Clinical Director and Director of Midwifery, and as Clinical Director for the South West Maternity Clinical Network. Recently Ann has been the midwifery lead for PERIPrem (Perinatal Excellence to Reduce Injury in Premature Birth) and is currently the midwifery lead for Black Maternity Matters, a collaboration supporting perinatal health care staff to reduce the inequitable maternity outcomes faced by Black mothers. Laura Lewinson Laura is a hospital based Diversity and Inclusion Lead midwife with over 10 years’ experience caring for women, birthing people and families. Laura joined the Black Maternity Matters team as a maternity champion for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) cohort 1 in 2022; excited at the opportunity to enact measurable changes to improve outcomes and experiences for Black women. The programme has been transformational. Having the opportunity to sit amongst peers and reflect on the ways in which each as an individual, and as part of a system perpetuate harmful practices which disproportionately impact Black women, birthing people and their babies has been a unique privilege to be part of. Since completing the BMM programme, Laura has become the Diversity and Inclusion lead midwife for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW). This involves collaborating with the multi-disciplinary team and external stakeholders to deliver training and Quality Improvement projects for maternity staff with a focus on improving outcomes and experiences for racially minoritised people accessing maternity care. Laura’s main passion is health equity, ensuring that every family has the opportunity to plan for a successful future during their pregnancy journey. Supported by MATFLIX: ⁠⁠⁠https://matflix.co.uk⁠⁠⁠ Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: ⁠⁠⁠https://mmf.eventbrite.com⁠⁠⁠ Watch the live stream: ⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live