Professor Joht Singh Chandan from the University of Birmingham announced as co-lead of NIHR Challenge Maternal Disparities Consortium
An academic from the University of Birmingham has been announced to co-lead a new research consortium which will research inequalities that expectant and new mothers face.
In an announcement by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), nine UK universities have been selected to head up the new NIHR Challenge Maternity Disparities Consortium, with the aim of tackling inequalities in maternity care.
The research carried out across the consortium will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy, and will also focus on building capacity for further research to help improve services over time. It will help support professionals who plan and deliver services for women and babies across both health and social care.
Tackling inequalities in maternity care is a critical priority, and this consortium brings together a wealth of expertise to drive meaningful change.
The University of Birmingham has also been announced today as one of the nine lead universities in the consortium, and will work with Warwick University, Keele University and Birmingham City Council.
Joht Singh Chandan, Clinical Professor of Public Health at the University of Birmingham, has been appointed as the Consortium Co-Lead for Research. Professor Chandan has an established track record in health inequalities, having attracted more the £19m research funding for public health projects that address, amongst other things, health inequalities and health data science.
Professor Chandan said:
"I am honoured to take on the role of co-lead for the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium. Tackling inequalities in maternity care is a critical priority, and this consortium brings together a wealth of expertise to drive meaningful change.
“Our goal is to address disparities before, during, and after pregnancy by focusing on research that leads to real improvements in care for families and their babies across the UK. I am particularly looking forward to learning from and working alongside the communities most affected by these inequalities, ensuring that their insights shape our work and lead to lasting, impactful solutions."
Professor Chandan will be joined by co-lead Dr Victoria Hodgetts Morton from the University of Birmingham, Dr Beck Taylor from Warwick University, Professor Will Parry-Smith from Keele University and Dr Marion Gibbon from Birmingham City Council.
Professor William Parry-Smith, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Keele University, said: "I’m pleased to be leading Keele’s contribution to this nationally important work. Research and capacity building undertaken by the consortium will tackle the problem of maternity disparities. We have the opportunity in the West Midlands to understand and to then make a real difference crucially to improving maternity outcomes."
Dr Beck Taylor, Clinical Associate Professor in Public Health, University of Warwick said: “This new consortium is an unparalleled opportunity to tackle the persistent maternity inequalities affecting life chances across the UK. These unacceptable differences are felt particularly by communities in our own region, the West Midlands. This consortium the first of its kind, and we cannot wait to get started on this programme. As part of the consortium we’ll bring together the communities, professionals and researchers to drive the change that women, babies and society urgently needs.”
The £50m funding call was initially announced in March 2024. Nine leading universities have successfully applied to become part of the consortium. Each of them is collaborating with several other organisations around the UK. These include local councils, NHS trusts, charities, industry and other health organisations.
The consortium members span most regions of the UK, ensuring a wide perspective on tackling maternity inequalities. Each consortium member is receiving some initial funding to build relationships with charities, the life sciences industry and patient groups with relevant expertise and a key aim is to ensure the research can lead to measurable improvements in care before, during and after pregnancy.
The consortium will also have a long-term goal of supporting the next generation of research leaders in maternal healthcare. This will allow ongoing research to improve care for women and babies for years to come.
Professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure, said: “We are delighted by the level of engagement shown by researchers with this important research priority. I am confident we have an exceptional consortium to tackle the challenge of maternity inequalities; working in partnership with existing NIHR funded infrastructure and programmes. We look forward to working with the consortium and their collaborators across the UK to develop the final plans for their ground-breaking new research projects over the next few months.”
Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron said:
“Every woman should receive safe, personalised and compassionate maternity care, regardless of background. We are determined to tackle the stark and unacceptable inequalities in maternity services and are working with NHS England to urgently improve care. Government-funded research like this is crucial to driving positive change.
“This is part of our mission to build an NHS fit for the future by harnessing the full potential of our research and life sciences sector.”
About the National Institute for Health and Care Research
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.
Clinical Professor of Public Health
Professor Chandan is a Clinical Professor of Public Health, based in the Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK.
Associate Professor
Staff profile of Dr Victoria Hodgetts Morton, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham.
