PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Maternity Services: Ethnic Groups (15 July 2022)

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) undertakes a regular maternity survey of women giving give birth in all National Health Service acute trusts providing maternity services. In 2021, respondents could complete an online questionnaire, which increased the response rate, including from Asian and Asian British women and from those describing themselves as having ‘no religion’ or ‘Muslim’.

In preparing the 2023 survey, the CQC has engaged with other bodies to increase responses from black women and women from minority ethnic backgrounds. The CQC will also undertake engagement and communications activity to improve the survey’s profile and completion rate amongst ethnic minority groups with lower survey completion rates. The survey responses are analysed at a national level by ethnicity and other factors.