Midwives called Asian women in labour ‘princesses’ for asking for pain relief, report finds

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (PA) (PA Archive)

Midwives at a West Midlands hospital called women in labour “Asian princesses” for asking for pain relief, a new report has revealed, as NHS officials raise “deep concern” over racist behavior in maternity care.

An NHS review into training for midwives at University Hospitals Birmingham has raised multiple concerns over midwives’ racist behavior towards patients.

According to the report, uncovered by the Health Service Journal, trainee midwives saw senior staff use the term “Asian princess” in reference to brown-skinned women requesting pain relief during labour.

Some reportedly said “Oh, they are all like this”, referring to Asian women, and said asylum seekers were “playing the system.”

Midwife students told NHS officials there was a “disregard” from some midwives towards black and brown-skinned women, particularly where English was not their first language, and said women who could not speak English were left without interpreters.

Midwives were also found to be making “sarcastic” comments towards mothers with mental health issues.

The report raised wider issues with the trust’s maternity services including trainee midwives’ reports “never having experienced a fully staffed shift” and midwives that had no time to take breaks or visit the toilet due to poor staffing.

Habib Naqvi, chief executive for watchdog the NHS Race Observatory, told HSJ he was “deeply concerned” by the cases and warned: “discriminatory behaviours and ways of working… [can] lead to hostile and unsupportive learning environments… impact patient care and safety, and also seriously undermine the NHS’s goal of attracting and retaining its workforce”.

The warning comes after Donna Ockenden, chair of the major review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospital, said she had found “countless” reports of “racist and discriminatory” behavior.

In a letter to the trust’s chief executive, she said one mother reported bed sheet being thrown at her by a member of staff after she had repeatedly asked for help to change a bloodstained bed.

Another said who had just lost her baby said a staff member was “mimicking her accent, voice and mannerisms.” Instead of the staff member being reprimanded senior managers appeared to laugh, according to the letter.

The same mother asked for an interpreter and was told by a staff member “I think you understand enough, no need for an interpreter.”

Ms Ockenden has also repeatedly raised the issue of poor interpretation services at NUH.

University Hopsitals Birmingham Foundation Trust told HSJ behaviours highlighted in the report were “not acceptable” and that it takes concerns “very seriously”.

It added: “We want to ensure that every woman and family we care for receives safe, equitable care and have zero tolerance towards any discriminatory behaviours within our hospitals.