The Barriers to Accessing Care

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

She recalled her experience with her GP in the very early days of a planned pregnancy. The first time she went to the doctor, she had tested positive but had some light bleeding. I've often wondered if I had been from a different background would I have been taken more seriously. Although the miscarriage couldn't have been presented my mental health and trust in the doctors could have been improved. Even somebody like Serena Williams we know that when she gave birth despite the influential position that she is as a black mother her concerns were not listened to. What's happening here is that she's not being listened to.

Experts and campaigners have been pointing out the racial disparities in maternal healthcare for years. The latest report to highlight the issue comes from the House of Commons women and equalities committee. MPs behind the report have condemned the government’s failure to address the gulf in outcomes. So why are black and Asian women still more at risk from childbirth? Madeleine Finlay hears what it can be like to navigate the maternity system as a woman of colour, and speaks to Guardian health editor Andrew Gregory and Prof Shakila Thangaratinam about what lies behind the statistics and what can be done. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod