Our findings contribute to the growing evidence about the need to improve maternity and postnatal care, and to develop more sensitive and women-centred care for all women irrespective of ethnic background.

No abstract

Professionals appeared to equate the needs of UK-born ethnic minority women with those of white English women. Overall, this has positive implications for care provision. Despite this, specific behavioural expectations and unconscious stereotypical views were evident and have the potential to affect clinical practice.

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Following the loss of a baby, women and their families have particular needs. As midwives are the main professional group present at this time, they need to support women through the process. However, it may be relatively rare for midwives to encounter bereavement, and so it is important to ensure that competency is maintained in this area. This has been demonstrated by an increasing demand for additional training from midwives, which led to a bereavement and communication study day within the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The study day explored midwives' and women's personal experiences and considered the implications for practice.