Summary of the 2025 MBRRACE-UK 'Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care' report

MBRRACE-UK’s Saving Lives, Improving Mothers' Care annual reports include surveillance data on women who died during or up to one year after pregnancy in the UK and lessons learned from the UK and Ireland confidential enquiries into maternal deaths and morbidity. The latest fully compiled report (the twelfth in the series) examines the care of 643 women between 2021-2023. 

The report highlights the persistent inequalities in maternal outcomes, as well as how the current state of maternity services impacts upon maternal outcomes. The maternal death rate in the UK is 12.82 women per 100,000 giving birth, a reduction from the 2020-2022 report, where the maternal death rate was 13.56 women per 100,000. Blood clots remain the leading cause of maternal death, followed by heart disease and Covid-19. 

It should be noted that rates for late maternal deaths occurring between six weeks and one year after the end of pregnancy continued to increase and were significantly higher compared to 2018-20. Maternal suicides were the leading cause of death occurring between six weeks and one year after the end of pregnancy. 

The report discusses the impact of inequalities and biases that can contribute to poor outcomes in maternity care. Women from black ethnic backgrounds are still more than twice as likely to die compared to white women and, while this represents an improvement from previous figures, the report reiterates that this should not be misrepresented as progress as black and Asian women continue to face disproportionately higher risks during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, and inequalities in experience remains a significant issue. 

The report also highlights that, of the 643 women who were the focus of this report, 91% of them faced multiple interrelated challenges. Many women experienced severe disadvantages including social service involvement, past trauma, domestic abuse and deprivation. 

Both reports have a series of recommendations for trusts and for government, highlighting the importance of ensuring women are ‘ready for pregnancy’ as a key enabler to preventing poor outcomes. NHS Providers’ recently published report highlights where government support is needed to support trusts in tackling inequalities.