UPCOMING WEBINARS: Improving maternity care for BAME women

Recent studies confirm that BAME women are disproportionately more likely to die than white women from complications surrounding pregnancy or childbirth. Our friends over at the BAME Birthing With Colour initiative are committed to highlighting maternity issues facing the BAME communities, and like us at K2, are dedicated to improving maternity care for all.

The BAME Maternity team is hosting two upcoming webinars to spread information and provide guidance that will improve care for expectant mothers from the BAME communities. Please do take the time to join if you are able to.

30th September: COVID-19, pregnancy and separating fact from fiction

COVID-19 has transformed maternity care in the UK. How have these changes impacted expectant mothers from the BAME communities? This webinar will analyse those impacts– sift the fact from fiction – and provide clear guidance for mothers and care providers.

Confirmed speakers:

Anita Banerjee FHEA, FRCP, Obstetric Physician, Diabetologist and Endocrinologist, St Thomas’ Hospital
Lydia Lewis, Senior Midwife, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Sophie Russell, Consultant Midwife for complex care with special interest in health inequalities, including those experienced by migrant women, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Natalie Wood, mother of four month old daughter born during lockdown

7th October: Why don’t we hear the cry for help: removing bias from maternity

Survey-upon-survey has highlighted that discrimination, micro-aggressions and substandard care blight the maternity experience for women from the BAME communities. This webinar will consider what can be done to heed these findings and remove bias from maternity care.

Confirmed speakers:

Linda Machakaire, Head of Midwifery, University Hospital Lewisham at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Clotilde Abe, Director, FIVEXMORE
Toyin Adeyinka, Chair Lewisham MVP

BAME Birthing With Colour is an initiative that highlights maternity issues facing the BAME communities. The programme is led by Helen Knower, Director of Midwifery, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and organised by UK registered charity The Brun Bear Foundation. Proceeds from BAME Birthing With Colour’s event programme support projects that resonate with its core mission and values. This ranges from a bursary scheme to the funding of wellbeing wallets for expectant mothers. The organising committee work on an entirely pro bono basis.