Published in a journal by BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth, the report has highlighted the need for healthcare professionals to adopt a better understanding of how cultural and religious values influence women’s care-seeking behaviour, whilst arguing that maternity care providers need to be supported through established guidelines and training in order for them to provide culturally and religiously appropriate care.

The report – ‘A qualitative study of healthcare professionals’ experiences of providing maternity care for Muslim women in the UK’ – was based on a qualitative study of British Muslim women’s experiences of NHS maternity services during motherhood, conducted by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the Universities of Bedfordshire, Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores. The study drew together real-life experiences of healthcare professionals whilst providing maternity care for Muslim women in a large NHS maternity unit in the UK, captured through in-depth interviews.

A qualitative study of healthcare
professionals’ experiences of providing
maternity care for Muslim women in the
UK @Shaima_M_Hassan @uobpublichealth @uob_ihr @uniofbedsnews #maternity #ethnicity #DiversityandInclusion #NHShttps://t.co/Iiiy1rMMuD

— Shuby Puthussery (@shubyputhussery) July 16, 2020

The researchers found that while maternity care professionals have some awareness and understanding of certain religious values and practices held by Muslim women, they still faced several challenges while dealing with certain practices, such as fasting the month of Ramadhan despite pregnant and breastfeeding women normally being exempt from these practices. While the narratives demonstrated potential in developing cultural or religious competency among maternity care professionals, most of their current knowledge and understanding came through their interactions with Muslim women rather than through specific training or official recommendations.

Together the academics concluded that developing maternity care professionals’ understanding of Muslim women’s religious needs through specific guidelines or training will not only equip professionals with important skills to provide woman-centred care but also to be sensitive to cultural and religious differences thereby creating a mechanism to bridge the gap in communication between professionals and women. Such competency training needs to extend far beyond the understanding of language needs or facts about other value systems, but rather requires an emphasis on care that acknowledges, accepts and responds to individual differences. The study also highlighted the importance of equipping healthcare professionals with information on specific cultural and religious practices followed by Muslim women.

Reflecting on the study’s results, Dr Shuby Puthussery – one of the report’s co-authors and a Senior Lecturer in Public Health – said:

Several policy initiatives have underscored the importance of creating health services that are responsive to ethnic and religious diversity. Our findings highlight the need for continuously equipping maternity care professionals with the knowledge and skills to enable them to provide woman-centred care, taking into account the individual needs of mothers from different faiths and cultural backgrounds. In turn, this will enhance better access to care for all mothers and reduce indirect differences in birth outcomes and experiences between communities.

As well as teaching with the School of Healthcare Practise, Dr Shuby Puthussery is Director of the Maternal and Child Health Research Centre, based at the University of Bedfordshire’s Institute of Health Research.

Lead author, Dr Shaima Hassan from the Applied Research Collaboration (NWC) at University of Liverpool, said: “Healthcare professionals require a continuous process of combined cultural and religious competency training to help develop their confidence in addressing the needs of women from all backgrounds and faiths. It will help create an atmosphere where all women feel able to express and discuss their specific needs in the long-term.”

The full report by Dr S.M Hassan, Dr S Puthussery, Dr C Leavey and J.S Rooney can be found on the BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth website.

A variety of 2020/21 School of Healthcare Practise courses are still available through Clearing, including Adult Nursing, Operating Department Practise, Advanced Clinical Practise (Nursing) and Dental Education.

The Clearing lines are still open and the team can be reached on 0300 3300 703. Further information can be found online: www.beds.ac.uk/clearing