Maternity Equity and Equality in Tower Hamlets

Project Background

North East London has some of the most deprived areas in England with Tower Hamlets being ranked as the 22nd most income-deprived of the 316 local authorities districts in England. It is also one of the most diverse areas of London with over 50% of the residents in Tower Hamlets from Black or Asian ethnic backgrounds according to the 2021 Census data.

Health outcomes for people from Black and Asian communities and deprived areas are often poorer than those from White ethnicities and less deprived areas.  

As the population in North East London is predicted to increase by 120,000 in the next five years, it is important to ensure that maternity services are improved to meet the needs of all communities to give every child the best opportunity for a healthy start in life and women the best possible care during pregnancy and following birth.

Healthwatch organisations in North East London carried out a project looking into people’s experiences of the local maternity services. The aim of the project was to particularly focus on the experiences of women from Black and Asian ethnic minority communities and those from deprived areas in order to find out how services can improve to meet the needs of these communities. 

Through a survey, we asked questions about:  

• Using GP, Midwifery, and Urgent and Emergency Services
• Experiences with prenatal screening services
• What works well and what could be improved

Methodology

The feedback was collected through an online survey between July and August 2022. The survey was promoted widely by NHS North East London through their stakeholder and staff newsletters, website, social media and intranet. The survey was also shared with the Maternity Voice Partnership Chair in Tower Hamlets, as well as via a push notification to the users of the Baby Buddy app. 

In addition to the online survey, feedback was also collected from Somali women through social media and over-the-phone interviews.

This report details the findings from the feedback collected from people in Tower Hamlets.