The DOI matches its Crossref record; 7 of the 7 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic women's experiences of maternity services in the UK : A qualitative evidence synthesis
Abstract
Aims: Black, Asian and minority ethnic women are at higher risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatally and of experiencing premature birth, stillbirth or neonatal death compared with their White counterparts. Discrimination against women from ethnic minorities is known to negatively impact women's ability to speak up, be heard and their experiences of care. This evidence synthesis analysed Black, Asian and minority ethnic women's experiences of UK maternity services in light of these outcomes. Design: We conducted a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis using the method of Thomas and Harden. Data Sources: A comprehensive search in AMED, Cinahl, Embase, Medline, PubMed and PsycINFO, alongside research reports from UK maternity charities, was undertaken from 2000 until May 2021. Eligible studies included qualitative research about antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care, with ethnic minority women in maternity settings of the UK NHS. Review Methods: Study quality was graded using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Results: Twenty‐four studies met the inclusion criteria. Our synthesis highlights how discriminatory practices and communication failures in UK NHS maternity services are failing ethnic minority women. Conclusion: This synthesis finds evidence of mistreatment and poor care for ethnic minority women in the UK maternity system that may contribute to the poor outcomes reported by MBRRACE. Woman‐centred midwifery care is reported as positive for all women but is often experienced as an exception by ethnic minority women in the technocratic birthing system. Impact: Ethnic minority women report positive experiences when in receipt of woman‐centred midwifery care. Woman‐centred midwifery care is often the exception in the overstretched technocratic UK birthing system. Mistreatment and poor care reported by many ethnic minority women in the UK could inform the inequalities of outcomes identified in the MBRRACE report.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Figures
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“In the context of the current study, this fi nding is surprising, given the vast body of evidence exploring this notion [17,19-21,23,44-50].”
From The birth trauma earthquake: A qualitative investigation of first-time mothers who perceived their birth as traumatic (2026) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“as well as having direct influence upon the type of care they receive and the discouragement of concern-raising [23].”
From The birth trauma earthquake: A qualitative investigation of first-time mothers who perceived their birth as traumatic (2026) · cites this paper as [23]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., et al. (2021) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.n71 · Cited by 108,283
Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-8-45 · Cited by 9,312
Rethlefsen, M. L., Kirtley, S., Waffenschmidt, S., Ayala, A. P., Moher, D., Page, M. J., Koffel, J. B., PRISMA-S Group, Blunt, H., Brigham, T., et al. (2021) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-020-01542-z · Cited by 3,714
Rethlefsen, M. L., Kirtley, S., Waffenschmidt, S., Ayala, A. P., Moher, D., Page, M. J., & Koffel, J. (2019) · doi:10.31219/osf.io/sfc38 · Cited by 3,696
Renfrew, M. J., McFadden, A., Bastos, M. H., Campbell, J., Channon, A. A., Cheung, N. F., Silva, D. R. A. D., Downe, S., Kennedy, H. P., Malata, A., et al. (2014) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60789-3 · Cited by 1,297 · cited 1×
“Core concepts identified as necessary for a positive birth experience among all birthing women include respectful care, trusting relationships, control and participation in decision- making (Downe et al., 2018; Karlsdottir et al., 2018; Renfrew et al., 2014).”
BackgroundO'MAHONY, J., & DONNELLY, T. (2010) · Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2850.2010.01625.x · Cited by 120
Lyons, S. M., O'Keeffe, F. M., Clarke, A. T., & Staines, A. (2008) · Ethnicity & Health · doi:10.1080/13557850801903020 · Cited by 73
Research works printed but not linked: 63
- Ali N., 2004, Experiences of maternity services: Muslim Women's perspectives
- 10.12968/bjom.2013.21.8.571 · DOI
- American Medical Association (AMA), 2021, AMA adopts guidelines that confront systemic racism in medicine
- 10.1016/j.midw.2014.11.006 · DOI
- 10.1186/1471‐2288‐8‐21 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1016/j.midw.2013.01.003 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1177/1049732310390698 · DOI
- Benoit C., 2010, Medical dominance and neoliberalisation in maternal care provision: The evidence from Canada and Australia, 475
- 10.1080/10810730.2012.665421 · DOI
- Birthrights, 2020, Holding it all together: Understanding how far the human rights of women facing disadvantage are respected during pregnancy, birth, postnatal care
- Cardwell V., 2019, Making better births a reality for women with multiple disadvantages. A qualitative peer research study exploring perinatal women's experiences of care and services in north—East London
- Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, 2019, CASP CHECKLISTS ‐ CASP ‐ Critical appraisal skills programme
- 10.1016/j.midw.2010.03.001 · DOI
- 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2001.01964.x · DOI
- 10.1080/01459740.2018.1549389 · DOI
- Davis‐Floyd R. E., 2003, Birth as an American rite of passage
- Department of Health, 1993, Changing childbirth: Reports of the expert maternity group parts 1 & 2
- Department of Health, 1997, The new NHS: Modern and dependable
- Department of Health, 2017, Better births: Improving outcomes of maternity services in England – A five year forward view for maternity care
- 10.1186/s12978‐018‐0466‐y · DOI
- 10.18332/ejm/140086 · DOI
- 10.1111/inr.12100 · DOI
- Fisher R., 2020, Who gets in? What does the 2020 GP patient survey tell us about access to general practice?
- 10.1177/1049732312449212 · DOI
- Gillespie G, 2012, Why do we use the term female genital cutting and not female genital mutilation
- 10.1111/hex.12629 · DOI
- Hall J., 2021, Midwifery staff shortages – Have we reached tipping point?
- 10.1080/0958159021000029568 · DOI
- 10.1186/s12884‐019‐2302‐y · DOI
- Henderson J., 2018, Experiencing maternity care: The care received and perceptions of women from different ethnic groups, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2013
- 10.1073/pnas.1516047113 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1016/j.midw.2004.09.003 · DOI
- 10.1080/13557858.2012.730608 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.09.007 · DOI
- 10.1177/1049732308329306 · DOI
- Kirkup B., 2021, EPE0005 – Expert panel: Evaluation of the Government's commitments in the area of maternity services in England
- Knight M., 2020, MBRRACE‐UK: Saving lives, improving Mothers' Care 2020: Lessons to inform maternity care from the UKand Ireland confidential enquiries in maternal death and morbidity 2016–18
- 10.1080/02646838.2011.649472 · DOI · Paper page
- MacLellan J., 2020, A Metasynthesis of Black, Asian and minority ethnic women's experiences of maternity services in the UK, CRD42020225758
- McAree T., 2010, Perceptions of group practice midwifery from women living in an ethnically diverse setting, Evidence Based Midwifery, 8, 91
- 10.1054/midw.2000.0204 · DOI
- McFadden A., 2018, Roma and Traveller peoples' trust: Report
- 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.06.032 · DOI · Paper page
- Miller S. A., 2001, PICO worksheet and search strategy
- 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009846 · DOI
- 10.1080/07399330903548928 · DOI
- 10.1111/1467-9566.13001 · DOI
- NHSE, 2019, Targeted and enhanced midwifery‐led continuity of carer
- 10.12968/bjom.2004.12.3.15363 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.11.030 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1258/jhsrp.2008.007153 · DOI
- 10.1258/jhsrp.2009.009067 · DOI
- 10.1111/birt.12446 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1080/13557858.2011.561302 · DOI
- 10.1186/s12884‐016‐1197‐0 · DOI
- 10.1016/s0140‐67369(14)607893 · DOI
- 10.1080/13698575.2012.661041 · DOI
- 10.1046/j.1523-536X.2003.00215.x · DOI
- 10.4324/9781315284453 · DOI
- 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2009.01207.x · DOI
- 10.12968/bjom.2019.27.10.642 · DOI
- 10.1111/j.1552‐6909.2012.01395.x · DOI
- 10.1080/02646838.2011.639014 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Bailey, E. C., Barry, Z., Buabeng, R., Fellows, R. E., Khazaezadeh, N., Rajasingam, D., Silverio, S. A., & Sheen, K. S. (2026) · Women and Birth · doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2026.102171
Metadata
- Authors
- MacLellan, J., Collins, S., Myatt, M., Pope, C., Knighton, W., & Rai, T.
- Affiliations
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter Oxford UK
- Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health University of Oxford, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford UK
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Worthing UK
- Riseproject.co. Oxford UK
- ORCID
- MacLellan, Jennifer
- Venue
- Journal of Advanced Nursing
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2022-03-24
- Volume
- 78
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 2175-2190
- ISSN
- 0309-2402
- 1365-2648
- PMC
- PMC9314829
- Cited by
- 86
- References
- 7
- Language
- en
- Funders
- Burdett Trust for Nursing (SB\ZA\101010662\633464)
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
