I am a lay member of the patient liaison group and a 38-year-old black woman whose mother, Samantha Skinner, died in childbirth. I am sharing this because I read the recent article on a young black mother dying in a Liverpool hospital due to cultural biases impacting her quality of care, and was both horrified and triggered. My mother died of pre-eclampsia and there would have been signs in the lead up to childbirth but they were not investigated.

This is not the only failure of care my family has experienced. My aunt was deemed difficult after insisting that she see a doctor when she heard my cousin’s heartbeat during childbirth, as it had changed from earlier in her pregnancy. That insistence led to the discovery that the umbilical cord was around his neck and resulted in the emergency caesarean that saved his life. He would not have lasted another half hour.

That this failure of care is still happening to pregnant minoritised women in the NHS almost 40 years after it happened to my family was hard to read, and is a complete disgrace.

The article cited a 2023 report by MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk Through Audits and Confidential Enquiries). It found that between 2019 and 2021 there was a fourfold increase in maternal mortality rates among women from black ethnic backgrounds and a twofold increase among women from Asian ethnic backgrounds, compared to their white counterparts. It is clear much more work needs to be done to combat the systemic cultural discrimination that is still present and causing avoidable harm in the NHS today.

Rowena Skinner is a queer black woman with several long-term health conditions. She was raised by her grandmother, Carmen Skinner, who had lupus, and so interacted frequently with the NHS from a young age. She is passionate about equitable care, and is the current PLG equalities champion. 

In the heart of every society lies its healthcare system, often revered as a symbol of hope, compassion and equality. Yet beneath the surface of this noble facade lurks a pervasive issue that corrodes the very essence of its ethos: racism.

Within the NHS, racism manifests itself in subtle yet insidious ways, often veiled under the guise of cultural biases. This phenomenon – cultural bias – perpetuates systemic discrimination and undermines the fundamental principles of healthcare equity.

Cultural bias in the NHS is not merely a matter of individual prejudice but is deeply embedded within the structures and practices of the institution itself. It manifests in various forms, from disparities in access to healthcare services to biased decision-making processes within healthcare settings. While overt acts of racism are condemned, cultural bias operates in more covert ways, making it challenging to identify and address.

One of the most prevalent forms of cultural bias within the NHS is the perpetuation of stereotypes and biases against patients from minority ethnic backgrounds. Recently, a black woman died after cultural bias caused delayed care at a Liverpool hospital.

These biases can affect the quality of care individuals receive, leading to disparities in health outcomes. For instance, studies have shown that black and minority ethnic patients are less likely to be offered certain treatments or are subjected to longer waiting times compared to their white counterparts, even when presenting with similar symptoms.

Moreover, cultural bias extends beyond patient care and infiltrates the working environment of the NHS. Minority ethnic healthcare professionals often face barriers to career progression, unequal opportunities for training and development, and experiences of workplace harassment and discrimination. The lack of diversity in leadership positions further perpetuates these inequalities, hindering efforts to create an inclusive and supportive work culture.