Nine leading UK universities selected for £50m Maternity Disparities Consortium
The group will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy.
Nine UK universities have been selected to help tackle inequalities in maternity outcomes as part of the new National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Challenge Maternity Disparities Consortium.
The research carried out by the consortium is supported by £50 million in funding over five years, announced in March 2024, and will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy.
Evidence shows that black women in the UK are almost three times more likely to die during pregnancy or up to six weeks after pregnancy compared to white women. Asian women are twice as likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after, compared to white women.
The consortium will also focus on building capacity for further research to help improve services over time. It will help support professionals who plan and deliver services for women and babies across both health and social care.
Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:
“Every woman should receive safe, personalised and compassionate maternity care, regardless of background.
“We are determined to tackle the stark and unacceptable inequalities in maternity services and are working with NHS England to urgently improve care. Government-funded research like this is crucial to driving positive change.
“This is part of our mission to build an NHS fit for the future by harnessing the full potential of our research and life sciences sector.”
Lead universities
Nine leading universities have successfully applied to become part of the consortium. Each of them is collaborating with several other organisations around the UK. These include local councils, NHS trusts, charities, industry and other health organisations.
University of Aberdeen (collaborating with Cardiff University)
University of Bedfordshire
Queen’s University Belfast
University of Birmingham
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
University of Manchester
Newcastle University
Sheffield Hallam University
University of Southampton
Judith Rankin, Professor of Maternal and Child Health at Newcastle University, has been appointed as the Consortium co-Lead for Research and Capacity Development. Joht Singh Chandan, Clinical Professor of Public Health at the University of Birmingham, has been appointed as the Consortium co-Lead for Research.
The consortium members span most regions of the UK, ensuring a wide perspective on tackling maternity inequalities. The next step for each consortium member is to build further collaborations before research projects begin in early 2025. Each consortium member is receiving some initial funding to build relationships with charities, the life sciences industry and patient groups with relevant expertise.
Once these relationships have been established, the consortium will decide on research topics. A key aim is to ensure the research can lead to measurable improvements in care and outcomes before, during and after pregnancy.
The consortium will also have a long-term goal of supporting the next generation of research leaders in maternal health and care. This will allow ongoing research to improve care for women and babies for years to come.
Professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure, said:
“We are delighted by the level of engagement shown by researchers with this important research priority. I am confident we have an exceptional consortium to tackle the challenge of maternity inequalities; working in partnership with existing NIHR funded infrastructure and programmes. We look forward to working with the consortium and their collaborators across the UK to develop the final plans for their ground-breaking new research projects over the next few months.”