Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the five-year project brings together a consortium of clinicians, researchers and communities to address urgent gaps in maternal care and drive lasting change.

Professor Judith Rankin, Consortium Co-lead for Research and Capacity Development, Newcastle University, said: “This funding represents a critical opportunity to make the step change we need to improve outcomes for women and their babies.

“Alongside the research, the consortium will be investing in tomorrow's research leaders today to ensure we have the capacity to deliver on improving pregnancy outcomes, access to, and experience of care.”

Driving safer, fairer maternity care

The funding comes at a pivotal moment for maternity services, with growing national focus on improving safety, reducing inequalities, and ensuring women receive high-quality, personalised care throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Responding to this challenge, the consortium will work out what helps improve care, develop practical solutions, and build the expertise needed to make those improvements happen fairly for everyone.

Key research will focus on improving support before and between pregnancies, alongside safer care and better outcomes during pregnancy, birth and early recovery. It also strengthens postnatal support and transitions into longer-term family care.

Newcastle University will play a central role in shaping the programme, drawing on its internationally recognised expertise in maternal and child health, population health and health inequalities.

Researchers will work closely with NHS partners and local communities to ensure that the work reflects real experiences and delivers tangible benefits for families.

Professor Joht Singh Chandan, of the University of Birmingham, who co-leads the consortium, added: “National attention on maternity safety and equity has never been greater, but ambition must now be matched by evidence and implementation.

“Through this consortium, we will work across the UK to understand what works, for whom and in what contexts, and to ensure that research leads to practical changes in care for the women, babies and families who need them most.”

Addressing risks in pregnancy and beyond

Newcastle University’s Professor Nicola Hesleshurst is co-lead and Dr Ryc Aquino is emerging co-lead of the Pregnancy, Birth and Early Postnatal Maternal Health theme within the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium.

This theme focuses on reducing inequalities in maternity care by addressing key risks to maternal health, including obesity, hypertension and gestational diabetes, as well as perinatal mental health and early postnatal recovery.

The work prioritises three areas: preventing and managing cardiometabolic conditions, improving postnatal recovery, and strengthening perinatal mental health support using data-driven, intersectional and co-produced approaches.

Professor Heslehurst said: “This work will build on research from Newcastle on optimising early pregnancy risk and care pathways, addressing inequalities in pregnancy and postnatal cardiometabolic health and care to improve health of women and their children throughout their lives."

Dr Aquino added: “The consortium provides a unique, collaborative environment for delivering meaningful step change and addressing perinatal mental health and care inequalities.

“We will conduct data-driven research to optimise culturally appropriate and equitable mental health and psychosocial wellbeing care pathways before, during and after pregnancy.”