Discover

Based on the desk research we have identified:

1. Women from Asian backgrounds experience a two-fold difference in maternal mortality and almost 64% higher stillbirths and neonatal deaths as compared to white women, emphasising the need to address these disparities.

2. Antenatal education offered by the NHS, directly and indirectly, affects these outcomes as it helps mothers to prepare emotionally, mentally and physically.

3. South Asian women have lower rates of access to antenatal education leading to missed opportunities for preparation, lower rates of care satisfaction and unplanned births, increasing trauma, complications and in worse case scenarios mortality for mothers or babies.

Based on field research and interviews we have identified:

1. Low awareness and accessibility of services among South Asian mothers: this is because the social and healthcare system is different from their home country, and there are fewer competent channels or information touchpoints considered for them.

2. South Asian mothers, their families, and midwives may have built a kink relationship: they may have stereotypes and assumptions about each other based on previous experiences and knowledge that they have possessed historically from their communities.

3. South Asian mothers may show a lack of engagement toward their healthcare: as previously mentioned, due to prebuilt relationships with other key stakeholders, they may lose their trust and respect toward midwives (and vice versa) which may result in a lack of engagement.

Based on stakeholder interviews we have identified:

Within the Local Maternity Systems, which are responsible for the design and delivery of maternity services to the wider population, we identified key stakeholders who play a vital role in embedding our service user needs.
We see them as Champions.

Let's now meet the Champions and understand the barriers that they experienced in embedding the voices of our service users.
Meera, Cultural Liaison Midwife at Alperton, feels overwhelmed and doesn’t know where to start. She is also frustrated with service user voices being an afterthought and not fully integrated from the start.

Jessica, Head of Midwifery in Alperton, aims to complete the department’s strategic goals and improve the maternal outcomes. She feels that the higher management is often inhibited from involving the service users.

Fiona, local MVP Chair and does not have the skills and tools to conduct a co-production session with users while also being scared of cultural insensitivity when engaging with the users.

Define

We analysed barriers to access across various dimensions, including individual capacities, interpersonal relationships, community dynamics, service delivery ecosystems, and socio-political contexts.
By contextualising South Asian women within their cultural framework, we identified a strategic entry point within the service delivery ecosystem. Our goal is to enhance care by developing and providing services that are not only accessible but also culturally relevant to the local context and the lived experiences of mothers.

Our Goals

1. Empower South Asian mothers to be aware of the services and their rights.

2. Build and maintain the trust and respect between the stakeholders.

3. Support South Asian mothers to be active participants in their own social and healthcare, especially in their maternity journey.