BESt-UK vs The Public Inquiry: What's different?
We have been honest about the mixed bag of emotions which have come from the recent Public Inquiry into Birth Trauma led on by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Birth Trauma. You can read our reflections here.
Some people who bravely shared their stories with the Public Inquiry felt their experiences were not listened to. They also felt they were excluded and minimised in the final report that was produced. We too believe the report fell well short of what was needed, especially in regards to inclusivity, equity, diversity and anti-racism.
Our involvement in the BESt-UK study (read all the details here) means we are calling for people to share their birth experiences again. We understand this may not feel timely for some people who are already feeling fatigued or harmed by the Public Inquiry. We also know you might have questions.
We want to reassure all of our friends and supporters that the BESt-UK study is coming from a very different place to the Public Inquiry on Birth Trauma. We hope the answers to the questions below provide some reassurance and, as always, our inboxes are always open. You can contact us here to discuss anything which feels important to you.
Q: I shared my story with the Public Inquiry into Birth Trauma, why should I share my story again?
If you shared your experience with the Public Inquiry into Birth Trauma, you don’t have to rush to share your story again. This survey is open until September so you have plenty of time. You may also feel that once is enough and that’s totally understandable.
We are asking for experiences to be shared again because the Birth Experiences Study UK (BESt-UK) is separate from the Public Inquiry into Birth Trauma. This study is led by Kings Colleges London as part of an international collaboration between 13 countries around the world. It’s also about ALL birth experiences - positive, negative or neutral.
The UK public inquiry was led by MP’s in the All Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma. It’s vital that we have this academically grounded research as well as Members of Parliament calling for change.
Q: Why wasn’t this done alongside / together with the Public Inquiry?
Research that is robust takes time. The BESt-UK study started setting up their work in October 2023 and have spent until now rigorously reproducing the study in coproduction so it is fit for the UK context and can capture all birth experiences. The timings for the Public Inquiry were set by the MP’s running the APPG. It’s positive that this work was completed before the General Election was announced as it otherwise may have been lost all together.
Q: I didn’t feel my experience was represented in the Public Inquiry into Birth Trauma, how do I know I will be listened to this time?
It’s hard to capture multiple perspectives when you’re handling hundreds of stories. However, this is where really good research design helps. This survey is carefully designed in a way that will allow you to share all the different elements of your birth experience. This then allows the researchers to listen, reflect and analyse multiple important and intersecting themes.
For example the BESt-UK study will, for the first time, reveal how much more likely you are to be affected by birth trauma if you are Black, brown or from another racially minoritised group; if you’re from the LGBTQIA+ community; if you’re a neurodivergent person, and so on.
Also, it’s important to make sure that the team analysing the survey results are themselves representative of all who birth in the UK, in particular marginalised communities. The research team and advisory board for the BESt-UK study has been created with this very much in mind. For example, analysis of the themes arising from LGBTQIA+ respondents will be led on by an experienced researcher who is from the LGBTQIA+ community themselves.
Q: What effort has been made to make this survey inclusive?
The survey has been collaboratively developed with a range of stakeholders who represent a diverse range of voices and marginalised groups.
Inclusive language is used throughout the survey to ensure all birth experiences are represented.
The survey has been translated into 5 major languages: Polish, Romanian, Portuguese, Urdu and Punjabi.
The survey allows people to share how their identity, race, religion, age, disability, gender, sexuality, education, socio-economic status, immigration status, neurodivergence, relationship status, physical / mental health, criminal record, social services involvement may have affected their birth experience
Q: What action will come from this work?
Once the survey is closed, your stories will be listened to, analaysed and synthesized into multiple academic publications. Everyone involved with this study will be encouraged to disseminate the findings.
The data we collect will strengthen arguments and campaigns led on by Make Birth Better and other amazing campaigning organisations, many of whom have been tirelessly campaigning for service transformation for many decades. We also hope our insights will inform the ongoing update of NICE guidelines around maternity care.
Once this is done, the BESt-UK research group will be raising further funds to:
Take the themes and stories from BESt-UK into co-production sessions with parents, healthcare professionals, birth workers, third sector organisations, campaign groups, NHS and Government leaders. King’s College London specialises in this kind of co-production work so it is expertly placed to take this on. Together we want to break down the barriers which are preventing improvements in maternity care from taking place.
Set up research projects which will look even deeper at the data and findings which are specific to marginalised groups and communities.
The intention of this study is to create a momentum in research which has longevity and to work with diverse and inclusive stakeholders who want to drive change collaboratively.
Please contact us here if you have any other questions we haven’t addressed yet.