As Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Royal College of Midwives, I was honoured to see the RCM move a powerful motion at the TUC Black Workers Conference addressing racial discrimination in maternity services. The conference coincided with Black Maternal Health Awareness Week, 20th April to 26 April 2026, a timely and important reminder that race inequality in maternity care is not abstract. It is lived, experienced and, too often, deadly. It was an incredible and deeply moving moment to see the morning preliminary session on day three of the TUC Black Workers Conference 2026 dedicated to maternity services, with a vital focus on Black maternal health and the experiences of workers. The discussions were emotive and powerful, highlighting both the challenges and the urgent need for change. Yet, what stood out just as strongly was the overwhelming support and solidarity shown for midwives, maternity support workers, midwifery colleagues across the wider healthcare services creating a sense of shared purpose, compassion, and collective commitment to improving outcomes for Black mothers, parents, families, workers and the profession.
The motion recognised an undeniable truth. Black midwives, maternity support workers and other NHS professionals experience significantly higher levels of bullying, harassment, discrimination and disproportionate disciplinary action than their colleagues. Despite years of policies and promises, many still tell us they do not feel safe, heard or valued. Diversity without inclusion is not progress, it is a façade.
This is systemic racism, not individual failure. The latest NHS staff survey shows nearly one in three Black and global majority staff experience abuse from patients or the public, and many face discrimination from managers or colleagues. Staff are still refused by patients because of their ethnicity, and too often organisations fail to challenge this behaviour. When racism is ignored, cultures of fear and silence grow, undermining both staff wellbeing and patient safety.
This is why the RCM’s motion calls for action, not statements. Visible, measurable and sustained action, including investment in psychological safety, culturally appropriate best practice, and mandatory, high‑quality antiracism training for senior leaders with real accountability for the cultures they create.
Alongside this motion, we were proud to support several others that strengthen our collective response.
We supported the motion on Diversity in Senior Roles, which challenges the persistent lack of representation in NHS leadership. While Black staff are central to our workforce and union movement, they remain underrepresented in decision‑making spaces. This motion calls for mentorship, targeted training, diverse candidate slates and a critical review of organisational barriers to progression. Representation does not happen by accident, it requires intention.
We also supported the motion on Addressing Racial Injustice in Maternity Care. During Black Maternal Health Awareness Week, we cannot ignore that Black women in the UK are more than three times more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after birth, with Asian women also facing higher risks. These deaths are preventable. Structural racism, bias and unequal access to quality care all play a role. The motion calls for national antiracist maternity policies, mandatory ethnicity data collection, meaningful training, and co‑designing services with Black, Asian and global majority women and birthing people.
The motion on the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation was also vital, as the RCM is part of the Taskforce. Baroness Amos’s interim findings laid bare unacceptable standards of care and ongoing inequality. We cannot keep revisiting the same evidence without delivering change. Mandatory anti‑racism training, protective workplace policies and properly resourced personalised care must follow.
Finally, we supported the motion on the Rise in Racist Language and Abuse, recognising the harm caused when racist behaviour, online and offline, goes unchallenged. Dignity, respect and safety are non‑negotiable.
These motions send a clear message. Racism is a workforce issue, a patient safety issue and a public health issue. A maternity service that is unsafe for its staff will never be safe for its patients. The RCM will continue to lead, campaign and influence, until equity, dignity and justice are a reality for all.
