Léa Maquin, Maternity Consortium Co-ordinator and Engagement Lead, explains the programme of work, its impact and how the Consortium’s published resources will support others with reducing health inequalities.

With the Health and Wellbeing Alliance (HWA) ending on 31 March, the Maternity Consortium will conclude its work after five years of supporting national policy development through insights from the voluntary sector and lived experience.

Established in 2021, the Consortium was co-led by Sands and Tommy’s as members of the HWA. It brought together organisations, including Five X More, Muslim Women Network UK, National Maternity Voices, and members of the Pregnancy and Babies Charities Network, to strengthen the relationship between the health system and the voluntary and community enterprise sector (VCSE). The Consortium focused on understanding and addressing inequalities in maternity and neonatal care.

Programme summary 

Over five years (2021 to 2026), the Maternity Consortium delivered a broad programme of work to improve understanding of inequalities and support more inclusive practice across maternity and neonatal services. This included work on access to care, perinatal and maternal mental health, inequities within neonatal care, learning from community interventions, and engagement with women and birthing people experiencing social vulnerability or statutory involvement, led interventions, and engagement with women and birthing people experiencing social vulnerability or statutory involvement.

The Consortium also contributed resources to support Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems (LMNSs) in implementing Equity and Equality Action Plans, and generated evidence on issues including interpreting provision, digital exclusion, and communication barriers. Together, this forms a substantial evidence base for ongoing system improvement.

A significant focus this year has been on supporting the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (NMNI). Consortium member organisations convened family panels to support lived-experience submissions, and co-ordinated in evidence-gathering sessions delivered jointly with the investigation team. This work has centred on identifying systemic and structural issues and ensuring that the voices of families most affected by inequalities inform national understanding and recommendations.

Collaboration and impact

The Consortium’s work has been shaped by sustained engagement with voluntary organisations, families with lived experience, healthcare professionals and system partners across the NHS. Much of the programme’s activity has focused on amplifying the insight, evidence and expertise held by communities and specialist organisations, and creating accessible resources for policy teams, Integrated Care Boards, Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems and other stakeholders.

Given the nature of the Consortium’s role, working primarily with policymakers and system leaders rather than delivering services directly, it is not possible to fully assess the impact of this work on families and communities. However, feedback from organisations, professionals and contributors engaging with Consortium resources and events has consistently highlighted the value of having clear, evidence‑based materials that centre lived experience and support more inclusive approaches to maternity and neonatal care.

Next steps

Although the HWA is ending, the issues identified through the Consortium’s work remain central to national priorities. The conclusion of the programme coincides with the establishment of a new Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, which will act on the recommendations of the Baroness Amos independent investigation into maternity and neonatal services. The taskforce brings together families, NHS leaders, academics and voluntary sector representatives to deliver urgent action and address deep-rooted inequalities.

As this work begins, the learning, evidence, and lived experience gathered through the Maternity Consortium, including contributions to the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (NMNI) through member‑led reviews, family panels, and evidence sessions, will sit alongside insights from many other families, organisations, and communities. Continued partnership with the voluntary sector will be essential to ensuring that a wide range of voices informs the taskforce’s work and the implementation of future national recommendations.

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to those involved in the Maternity Consortium. Over the past five years, your insight, expertise and commitment have helped shaped national maternity and neonatal policy and strengthened the voice of the voluntary and community sector.

“The Consortium has helped deepen understanding of inequalities, supported more inclusive practice, and created accessible, evidence‑based resources for policy teams and local systems. Most recently, the work supporting the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation has helped ensure that families most affected by inequalities are heard at national level.”

- Kate Mulley, Director of Research, Education and Policy and Sands,

Resources and links

Resources developed through the Maternity Consortium (2021–2026) are available on:

• NHS Futures (FutureNHS)
• Tommy’s & Sands Joint Policy Unit website

Full list of resources

1. Barriers to accessing maternity care (2021–22)

Insights from national survey, focus groups and interviews exploring access barriers and informing LMNS Equity & Equality plans.

2. Inclusive and accessible perinatal/maternal mental health services (2022–23)

Learning sessions and case studies highlighting approaches to improving equitable access to PMH and MMHS services.

3. Starting Well Fund – shared learning

Webinar series showcasing community led interventions to reduce maternal and infant health inequalities.

4. Inequity in neonatal care (Bliss)

Webinar and resource exploring communication, personalised care and inequities within neonatal units.

5. Lived experience of children’s social care involvement (Birth Companions)

Report on women’s experiences of social care involvement during pregnancy and early parenthood.

6. Supporting LMNS Equity and Equality Action Plans

Playlist of talks and case studies on asylum-seeking families, autistic parents, digital exclusion, and faith-based engagement.

7. Working with young parents (The Lullaby Trust)

Co-produced video and guidance supporting safer sleep conversations with young parents.

8. Perinatal self-harm and suicidality

Engagement findings on experiences of self-harm and suicidal thoughts during the perinatal period.

9. Interpreting as essential for safe maternity and neonatal care

Insight report on systemic issues in access to professional interpreting and its impact on safety and communication.