Bournemouth University will be a key part of a UK-wide project to bring universities, health services, community groups and voluntary organisations together to close the most critical gaps in maternal care.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research has committed £50 million over five years to the Maternity Disparities Consortium (NIHR MDC) to drive forward the vital research led by clinicians, researchers, and communities across the consortium marking the most significant step forward in maternal health research in a generation.
The consortium will be led by the University of Birmingham and the University of Newcastle.
The team at BU will contribute across the consortium, with BU jointly leading work on developing digital and AI solutions to improve maternity care and building up the skills amongst community groups and clinical academic staff so they can get involved in the research.
The launch comes at a pivotal moment for maternity care in the UK, with national attention increasingly focused on improving safety, equity and women's experiences of care.
The Government's renewed Women's Health Strategy highlights the need to improve care before and between pregnancies for marginalised communities, against this backdrop, the consortium will generate the evidence, interventions and research capacity needed to help translate national ambition into practical, equitable improvements for women, babies and families.
BU’s Huseyin Dogan, Professor in Human Computer Interaction, will be the co-lead for the Digital, Economics, Data Linkage and Analytics (DELTA) core function across the consortium. Professor Dogan and Dr Deniz Cetinkaya will jointly lead research into using digital and AI technology to reduce inequality. This will include translation and interpretation solutions so that online information and support is accessible to everyone.
They will also explore how technology can improve clinical care, including early identification of cardiometabolic risks in mothers, remote blood pressure monitoring and screening and care tools that provide personalised maternity support based on an individual’s needs, circumstances, and cultural preferences.
They have received funding of £217,000 which will including recruiting two Post Doctoral Research Assistants to support their work.
“AI has already brought in many advances in the healthcare sector – with the potential to improve services, help clinicians make decisions and lead to better outcomes for patients,” Professor Dogan said. “In maternity care, it has the potential to support healthier pregnancies, improve experiences for mothers and families, and ensure that women receive care that suits their personal needs. "
Vanora Hundley, Professor of Midwifery at BU, will be Deputy Capacity Lead across the whole consortium. This will include managing £10m of the funding which will be used to strengthen skills and expertise in underserved groups – including midwives , neonatal nurses, and health visitors - so they can get involved in the research. Her role will also involve working with community groups to make sure that women and families who are affected by the current inequalities have the opportunity and skills to get involved in the research.
Professor Hundley will play a vital role in the project bringing expertise in midwifery to the consortium and her work will draw on the expertise of BU’s PIER partnership which ensures that communities get involved in research that matters to them.
Edwin van Teijlingen, Professor of Reproductive Health at Bournemouth University will also be involved in the social science research in the consortium
“Despite the improvements we have seen in maternity care over the years, there are still inequalities. We see disparities in outcomes for women from ethnic minorities, for disabled women and for women in areas of deprivation,” Professor Hundley said. “This team has the range of skills we need to identify health problems and improve care for mothers and babies. We need social scientists, we need clinicians (midwives and doctors), we need data scientists to ensure that the care we provide is of the highest quality.”
“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”, Professor Judith Rankin OBE, Consortium Co-lead for Research and Capacity Development, Newcastle Universitysaid.
“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,” says Professor Joht Singh Chandan, Consortium Co-lead for Research, University of Birmingham.
