University of Southampton Joins £50 Million NIHR Consortium to Reduce Maternal Health Inequalities Across the UK

University of Southampton Joins £50 Million NIHR Consortium to Reduce Maternal Health Inequalities Across the UK

(IN BRIEF) The University of Southampton is joining a new £50 million National Institute for Health and Care Research programme designed to transform maternal health and reduce inequalities in maternity outcomes across the UK. The NIHR Inequalities Challenge Maternity Disparities Consortium, led by the Universities of Newcastle and Birmingham, brings together universities, NHS partners, community organisations and voluntary groups to address disparities affecting women, babies and families. Southampton will lead research focused on health before and between pregnancies, building on expertise from the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and working with minoritised communities and care providers to develop a practical national blueprint for improved care and support. The programme responds to persistent inequalities in maternal health, including the higher risk of death faced by Black women during or after pregnancy and poorer outcomes among families in deprived communities. Southampton will work with Queen’s University Belfast, University College London, integrated care boards, public contributors and Wessex Health Partners to generate evidence that can support better prevention, more equitable care and improved outcomes for mothers, children and families.

(PRESS RELEASE) SOUTHAMPTON, 9-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — University of Southampton is taking part in a major new £50 million research programme from the National Institute for Health and Care Research aimed at transforming maternal health and reducing inequalities in maternity outcomes across the UK.

The programme, known as the NIHR Inequalities Challenge Maternity Disparities Consortium, is led by the Universities of Newcastle and Birmingham. It brings together higher education institutions, NHS partners, community groups and voluntary organisations to address persistent disparities affecting women, babies and families.

The NIHR has committed £50 million over five years to support research led by clinicians, academics and communities across the consortium. The initiative is being described as one of the most significant advances in maternal health research in a generation, arriving at a time of heightened national focus on maternity safety, equity and women’s experiences of care.

Maternal health inequalities remain a serious challenge for the NHS. In the UK, Black women continue to face a significantly higher risk of dying during or after pregnancy than white women, while women and families living in the most deprived communities continue to experience poorer outcomes.

As part of the consortium, the University of Southampton will lead research focused on health before and between pregnancies. The work will build on expertise from the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and will focus particularly on reducing maternity disparities experienced by minoritised groups.

The Southampton-led research will work closely with minoritised communities and care providers to evaluate a practical blueprint for improving care and support before and between pregnancies. The aim is to create evidence that can inform a national model of support for women, babies and families.

Professor Keith Godfrey, Theme Lead at the University of Southampton and the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, said good health before pregnancy can play an important role in improving outcomes during pregnancy and for babies.

“People who are healthy before they get pregnant have a higher chance of keeping healthy during pregnancy and of having healthier babies,” said Professor Godfrey. “Many health problems can be hard to fix once someone is already pregnant, so it’s important to provide care and support before and between pregnancies. No such system of care and support currently exists in the UK, so this research to develop a national ‘blueprint’ is urgently needed.”

The University of Southampton team will work in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and University College London, as well as Hampshire and Isle of Wight and Central East Integrated Care Boards, public contributors and Wessex Health Partners.

Dr Danielle Schoenaker, Emerging Co-lead at the University of Southampton, said the development of a national blueprint for care before and between pregnancies could help create better long-term outcomes for mothers, children and families.

“Developing a national blueprint for care and support before and between pregnancies lays the foundation for healthier mothers, children, and families,” said Dr Schoenaker. “It can help mums and babies stay well and also builds a kinder, more supportive community where every family can have a better future.”

The programme is being launched at a critical moment for maternity care in the UK. National attention has increasingly turned to improving maternity safety, reducing inequalities and ensuring that women’s experiences of care are better understood and addressed.

The Government’s renewed Women’s Health Strategy has highlighted the need to improve care before and between pregnancies, particularly for marginalised communities. The consortium aims to generate the evidence, interventions and research capacity needed to turn national priorities into practical improvements for women, babies and families.

Professor Judith Rankin OBE, Consortium Co-lead for Research and Capacity Development from Newcastle University, said the investment offers an important opportunity to deliver meaningful change in pregnancy outcomes and maternity care.

“This funding represents a critical opportunity to make the step change we need to improve outcomes for women and their babies,” said Professor Rankin. “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 Joht Singh Chandan, Consortium Co-lead for Research from the University of Birmingham, said the programme will focus on building evidence and ensuring that research leads to real-world improvements.

“National attention on maternity safety and equity has never been greater, but ambition must now be matched by evidence and implementation,” said Professor Chandan. “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.”

Through its role in the consortium, the University of Southampton will contribute to a national effort to improve maternal health outcomes, strengthen support before and between pregnancies and reduce inequalities affecting minoritised and disadvantaged communities.

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SOURCE: University of Southampton