Striving for excellence in maternity care: The Maternity Stream of the City of Sanctuary

Abstract

Asylum-seeking and refugee (AS&R) women living in the UK often have complex health and social care needs, with poor underlying mental and physical health and an increased risk of negative pregnancy outcomes. Despite this, AS&R women are less likely to attend for timely maternity care and when they do, care may be poor, with staff not understanding their specific needs and displaying poor attitudes. This article discusses the Maternity Stream of the City of Sanctuary and how this charity aims to work with statutory and voluntary sector maternity-related services and groups to develop services that are inclusive for AS&R women and meet their specific needs. Volunteer AS&R women are central to the activities of the Maternity Stream and this article discusses how they engage with midwives and other maternity workers to facilitate the development of services that may ultimately improve pregnancy outcomes for AS&R women.

Midwives’ experiences caring for asylum-seeking women in the UK: a systematic review

“…Higgenbottom et al 2020, Feldman 2014, Haith-Cooper and McCarthy 2015, McKnight et al 2019, Fair et al 2020, Asif et al 2015. This is an example of the multiple marginalisations which face women seeking asylum.…”