Last week, MBRRACE-UK published its latest report, Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care, examining maternal deaths occurring during pregnancy or within a year postpartum between 2022 and 2024.
The latest MBRRACE-UK data show:
- 252 women died during pregnancy or up to six weeks after pregnancy in the UK in 2022-24. This represents a maternal death rate of approximately 0.03% during this period, a 20% increase since 2010.
- Blood clots (thrombosis and thromboembolism) remained the leading cause of maternal death, followed by heart disease and then mental health conditions (including suicide and substance use).
- Between six weeks and one year after the end of pregnancy, suicide remained the leading cause of death, accounting for 61 deaths.
- The gap in mortality rates between Black and White women has widened, from 2.3 times higher in the last report to nearly three times higher in this one. Asian women's risk of maternal death was 1.3 times higher than that of White women.
- Women living in the most deprived areas continued to die at twice the rate of women living in the least deprived areas.
The key messages and recommendations aimed at healthcare providers and the system fall under two main themes related to proactive care: Readiness - planning ahead for changing needs and Response - acting early to avoid delays.
Reflecting on the report, Dr Alison Wright, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said:
"This important report shows us where the system must accelerate efforts to protect women from dying in and after pregnancy, because, no matter how rare, every death represents a family affected by a tragic loss forever.
“It is not acceptable that more families are now experiencing this tragedy, nor that women from ethnic minority groups and deprived communities are at greater risk of dying.
“This cannot continue. Where racism, unacceptable behaviours, poor communication, or harmful cultures exist, we must be resolute in tackling these.
"Multiple maternity investigations have highlighted that the provision of excellent care is dependent on good cultures, safe staffing levels, protected time for training, and ensuring maternity services have appropriate theatre facilities and equipment.
“As this report rightly highlights, lasting change happens when women and families, healthcare providers, and the wider health service and systems come together to improve care.
“The RCOG is absolutely committed to supporting safe maternity care by turning learning into action and we continue to call on governments to ensure there is sufficient, sustained investment to build maternity services that women and families can trust, and where staff can be proud to work."
The RCOG President is a member of the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, and the College is committed to supporting the development, and implementation, of a national action plan in response to the Amos report recommendations.
The RCOG is committed to supporting safer maternity care through education, clinical guidelines, research, and advocacy. The College’s maternity safety programme encompasses our role as an educator developing the curriculum; supporting the career development of clinicians through exams, courses and events; and raising standards of care through the development of clinical guidance.
- The College has recently published a position statement (interim clinical guidance) on reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy. This is available here: Reducing the Risk of Thrombosis and Embolism during Pregnancy and the Puerperium (Green-top Guideline No. 37a) | RCOG
- RCOG Maternity Safety programme, available here.
- Find out more about RCOG membership advice and support service information here.
- Find out more about RCOG Supporting our doctors here.
- For media enquiries, contact the RCOG press office: pressoffice@rcog.org.uk or +44 (0)7986 183167