Health Innovation West Midlands is proud to have supported the first open access cohort of the Black Maternity Matters training programme at our offices in Birmingham. An immersive six-month training programme aimed at clinicians delivering perinatal care and immediate care and support to pregnant individuals, mothers and newborns. The course incorporates an Anti-Racist framework, transforming both personal and systemic levels of understanding and practice among those directly involved in clinical care. The programme focuses on anti-racist action to address the poorer outcomes faced by Black mothers and their babies in NHS maternity and neonatal services and was developed collaboratively by Health Innovation West of England, BCohCo Ltd | B Corp™, Representation Matters Ltd, and Black Mothers Matter.

The programme has consisted of 3 face to face days, 3 virtual book club sessions (exploring the books My Black Motherhood by Sandra Igwe, Divided by Annabel Sowemimo and The Good Ally by Nova Reid). Also including a host of Quality Improvement, peer support and communities of practices.

Thank you to everyone in this cohort for being so open and sharing your own experiences. It takes real courage to be professionally curious, to ask the hard questions and sit with the uncomfortable ones. And for the passion each of you carries to transform the lives of Black and Brown women across the country.

Special thanks to our facilitators, Katie Donovan-Adekanmbi and Beatrice Anomah for a truly eye-opening experience and for facilitating such an important programme. We are looking forward to exploring the book ‘The Good Ally’ in our final book club session.