The Government has pledged to focus on ending ‘stark and unacceptable inequalities’ across maternity and neonatal services, in response to a House of Lords Committee report calling for action to tackle premature birth.
The report, published last November by the House of Lords Committee on Preterm Birth, confirmed that the goal of reducing England’s overall preterm birth rate to 6% would not be met by the 2025 deadline set by the previous Government.
Although the Government’s response does not include a revised target, it says: “We are currently considering what actions are needed to tackle issues related to maternity and neonatal care and, as part of that, will consider what future metrics, targets or ambitions should be set.
“Crucially, this will include a focus on tackling the stark and unacceptable inequalities, including the rate of preterm births that exist for Black and Asian women and babies, and women and babies from the most deprived backgrounds.”
Preterm birth is the most common cause of death among children under 5 in the UK, where around 53,000 babies are born preterm every year.
Kath Abrahams, Chief Executive of Tommy’s, who gave evidence to the House of Lords Committee inquiry into preterm birth, said:
“This is an encouraging initial response from the Government which acknowledges the scale of harm caused by premature birth and the need for action to prevent it.
“We know from Tommy’s researchers and others that people from minoritised ethnic groups in the UK and those living in the most deprived areas are more likely to experience premature birth.
“Families affected may live with lifelong and profound effects. Babies born too soon are at higher risk of learning disabilities, hearing difficulties and visual impairment, while research suggests their parents are more vulnerable to mental health problems such as anxiety and stress than those whose babies are born full term.
“Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research was established last year to help prevent this harm. We’re working to find out more about the causes of preterm birth, tackle inequities and develop treatments to stop babies being born too soon.
“We look forward to hearing in more detail from the Government about its own commitment to those goals and how it will help accelerate progress towards them.”
In its response to the House of Lords report, the Government says it recognises there are “serious issues within maternity and neonatal services”.
“[These] are not isolated to individual trusts but systemic and nationwide,” it says.
In particular, it addresses concerns around NHS workforce shortages and training – another problem highlighted by the House of Lords Committee – saying it is ‘our mission’ to train more midwives and health visitors and make sure the NHS is ‘squarely focused’ on tackling inequalities.
“Bringing in the staff we need will take time, but this is an absolute priority for this government.”
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