Using quality improvement to address inequalities in maternity care

A practical webinar on turning evidence about racial inequality in maternity and neonatal care into action.

Persistent inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes remain a major concern across health and care. National reports and lived experience continue to show the impact of racism, discrimination, poor culture and weak accountability on women, babies and families.

The NHS Alliance is hosting this webinar to explore what effective local action can look like in response to racial inequality in maternity and neonatal care.

With contributions from the NHS Race and Health Observatory and experts in leadership, equality and culture change, we’ll consider how racism, discrimination and structural inequality affect safety and experience and what practical steps services can take in response.

Aligned with themes from Baroness Amos’ 2026 Independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, the session will explore how services can turn evidence on racism, discrimination, poor culture and weak accountability into practical improvement.

The discussion will connect national evidence with examples of anti-racism focused quality improvement, including learning from the NHS Race and Health Observatory’s Maternal and Neonatal Learning and Action Network.

This will be explored alongside the leadership, workforce and cultural conditions that help services turn learning into sustained change, including inclusive leadership, staff experience, talent development and psychologically safer working environments.

This event is designed for people who want to move beyond awareness and into action. It will help participants consider what can be done locally, across organisations and within systems to improve equity in maternity and neonatal care.

By attending, you will have the opportunity to:

• understand how structural racism, racial bias and discrimination contribute to inequalities in maternity and neonatal outcomes and experience
• hear about emerging learning from anti-racism focused quality improvement programmes
• consider how national learning can be translated into locally grounded improvement, leadership action and accountability
• explore the role of inclusive leadership, workforce culture and staff experience in creating safer services, and                
• identify practical opportunities for improvement, collaboration and spread across maternity and neonatal systems.

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Attendance is free. Please use the ‘book now’ button to secure your place.

This webinar is open to members and non-members of The NHS Alliance.

It will be particularly relevant for:

• maternity and neonatal leaders
• midwifery and obstetric leaders
• equality, diversity and inclusion leads
• quality improvement and patient safety teams
• commissioners and system partners
• workforce, culture and organisational development colleagues
• anyone with an interest in equitable, inclusive and safer maternity care