The Government has rejected MPs' calls for compulsory cultural competence training for midwives to tackle racism in maternity care in England. The recommendation was made by the Health and Social Care Committee's report on black maternal health in September. The report finds that racism in NHS maternity care is an ongoing problem, causing poorer outcomes for black women. In England, black women or black pregnant women are three times more likely to die during childbirth or the postpartum period than white women. These failures have contributed to the NHS paying out £27.4 billion in maternity negligence claims since 2019. The main reasons for substandard treatment are racism, insufficient training and a system without accountability. A survey by Five X More in July found that one in four black women experienced problems in maternity services.