NMC responds to NHS Race and Health Observatory neonatal report

Jacqui Williams, Senior Midwifery Education Advisor at the NMC, said: 

"We welcome the report’s recommendations for practice, policy and research for neonatal assessment by skin colour. The care midwives provide must reflect the diversity of women and newborn babies in maternity care to ensure that abnormal signs and symptoms are not missed because of their race or ethnicity. Importantly, midwives should work in partnership with women and families to ensure their concerns are heard and acted upon.  

“It’s also vital that midwives develop their skills and knowledge base throughout their career as well as having the right tools to conduct assessments of Black, Asian, and minority ethnic newborn infants. In line with our standards, midwives should conduct a holistic assessment of every woman and baby’s health and wellbeing and know when to escalate concerns.  

“We know how important it is to empower midwifery educators to embed anti-racism content within their curricula. We're continuing to work with the RCM to support the adoption of their ‘decolonising midwifery toolkit’, so that students have the knowledge and skills to address unacceptable health inequalities. Through our quality assurance of midwifery education programmes we are committed to ensuring curricula reflect the key issues raised in this report. 

"We look forward to working with key stakeholders to support this work for the benefit of women and newborn babies." 

Further information:  

• In line with The Code, midwifery professionals are expected to keep their knowledge and skills up to date, and develop their competence for the benefit of all women, babies and families in their care. 
• The ‘decolonising midwifery toolkit’ empowers midwifery educators to ensure education is inclusive and addresses diverse maternity care needs, to improve people's long-term health. 

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