References

All Party Parliamentary Group Conception to Age 2. 2015. http://tinyurl.com/APPGbgb15 (accessed 22 June 2016)

BBC News. Plans to give prison governors control welcomed. 2016. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36321276 (accessed 22 June 2016)

London: Birth Companions; 2016

2016. http://tinyurl.com/h45wu74 (accessed 22 June 2016)

Delap N Caring for perinatal women in prison: How the launch of the Birth Charter will help women and staff. British Journal of Midwifery. 2016; 24:(6)390-2 https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2016.24.6.390

National Maternity Review. 2016. http://tinyurl.com/NMR2016 (accessed 22 June 2016)

Maternity care for women in prisons in England and Wales

02 July 2016
Volume 24 · Issue 7

Any maternity service can be measured by the care we provide to the most vulnerable in our society. Women in prison and their babies deserve the best of care. The Birth Charter for women in prisons in England and Wales, launched by Birth Companions (2016) in May 2016, gives us a wonderful opportunity to improve the support given to women and babies in prison, not just for the prison service, but for everyone involved in their care.

The newest strategy for midwifery, nursing and care staff in England (Cummings, 2016) implores us to end unwarranted variation in health care. Health inequalities must be tackled, and the best way to do this is to start at the very beginning of life. Women in prison are experiencing some of the most stark health inequalities (Delap, 2016):

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting British Journal of Midwifery and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for midwives. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Limited access to our clinical or professional articles

  • New content and clinical newsletter updates each month