A recent study has revealed a concerning disparity in infant mortality rates across different regions of England. The research, conducted by researchers at the University of Calgary and published in the Journal of Public Health, analysed data from 121 maternity services in England over a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022.
The findings show that babies born in the Midlands and the North of England are more likely to die before, during or shortly after birth compared to those in the South. The 10 worst-performing maternity centres were all located in the Midlands and the North, while the 15 best-performing were in the South.
Notably, three NHS Trusts – Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, and Royal Devon University Healthcare – had higher-than-average rates of infant mortality in each of the 10 years studied. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which is currently under police investigation, also had worse-than-average rates in nine out of the 10 years.
In contrast, three Trusts – Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, Royal Free London, and University College London Hospitals – were found to have lower-than-average death rates throughout the entire period.
The data has been adjusted to account for factors known to affect mortality rates, such as socio-economic deprivation, ethnicity, and gestational age at birth, suggesting that the regional disparities cannot be fully explained by these variables.
The study’s authors emphasise the need for lessons to be learned from the best-performing maternity services, allowing the underperforming ones to observe and adopt their “policies, culture and clinical practices”. This, they hope, will help to address the concerning trends and ensure that all families across England receive high-quality maternity care, regardless of their location.
The findings come as the government’s target to halve the rate of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths in England by 2025 has been missed. However, the report authors note that a 36% reduction in stillbirth and neonatal deaths during this time period is still a “significant” achievement.
The ongoing review into maternity care in England, led by Baroness Amos, is expected to shed further light on the systemic issues behind these regional disparities. In her interim report published in December, Baroness Amos stated that what she has seen so far “has been much worse” than she had anticipated.