Liverpool Lighthouse (LLH) hosted a play exploring a 2022 report that highlights the "significant impact on women’s health of the increasing inequalities in the UK, in terms of deprivation and disadvantage."
Building a Best for Baby Revolution was performed by four women seeking sanctuary in the UK in a project led by Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (LCCG) partnering with LHH. It’s part of the Liverpool Best for Baby Too initiative; bringing together health, social and education partners as a community of practice to co-create improvements for mothers and babies.
Led by LLH Creative Director Rebecca Ross-Williams, and midwife Pip McKnight, the play explores the lives of four women using puppetry, song, theatre and poetry. They are symbolic of many from Black and minority backgrounds highlighted in the report.
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The lay summary report: Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care 2022 states: "There remains more than three-fold difference in maternal mortality rates among women from Black backgrounds, and almost two-fold difference amongst women from Asian backgrounds, compared to White women. Women living in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to die as women living in the wealthiest areas".
It says: “The Government’s ambition is to reduce maternal mortality in England by 50% between 2010 -2025. Yet maternal mortality has increased by 8% since 2010-12.”
Liverpool GP, Dr Bryony Kendall part of the national Maternity Disparities Task Force told the ECHO: “Statistics show unfairness and social injustice are risk factors during pregnancy and the NHS needs to take them seriously, just as much as it does with high blood pressure and diabetes. While the NHS understands how to tackle clinical problems, we’re not always sure about our role in helping mums and babies deal with social issues that can cause them such distress.
"We need to learn how to get better at this, and that’s where the partnership we have with LLH comes in. Powerful, informative and inspiring, I can’t tell you how proud I am to have been involved in the ‘Best for Baby Too Revolution’ project."
Actor Reveulta said: “Being involved in this project has helped me overcome my trauma. It’s easier to talk about things I’ve been through and I feel like a better version of myself. I’ve come out a brand new woman.”
Midwife Pip added: “There’s a huge gap in understanding particular challenges faced by those giving birth in the asylum system. This project is a big step towards addressing that gap and improving outcomes. Every maternity care worker should see it.”
The play also highlights skills asylum seekers bring to the UK; between the four actors they speak nine languages, and three had professions as an accountant, preschool teacher and an electrical engineer, managing 600 men in a power plant. Collectively they have not been able to work for 13 years while waiting on their claims.
They have all suffered from mental stress and out of the 10 children between them. Three had to be left behind in their countries, four were born into the asylum system and one died.
LCCG has sourced funding to develop resources with the aim of integrating training into all midwives training. Alongside this there’s a perinatal group focused on creative wellbeing and support for mothers.
LLH is a unique arts and community organisation venue in the city region for both arts and mental health and wellbeing. They work with over 1,000 individuals a year with a vision to be a creative sanctuary for the community and for the city’s artists.
For information on the lay summary and full report visit HERE
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