Alarmingly, women from minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK are missing out on vital pain relief during childbirth, with new research suggesting a stark 'ethnicity pain gap' within medical settings. A study published in Anaesthesia has found that women from Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Black Caribbean heritage were significantly less likely to receive an epidural during vaginal birth compared to their white counterparts.
Specifically, the study, which analysed data from over 2.7 million births between 2011 and 2021, revealed that women of these ethnicities were 24%, 15%, and 8% less likely, respectively, to receive an epidural during a vaginal birth. Additionally, Black Caribbean-British women were 58% more likely to undergo general anaesthesia during elective caesarean births, while Black African-British women were 35% more likely. According to NHS guidelines, regional anaesthesia is preferred for elective caesareans due to its safety and quicker recovery.
The findings have been welcomed by experts who are now calling for enhanced data collection to understand how pain experienced by patients from minority ethnic backgrounds may be dismissed by health providers. This comes amidst growing evidence highlighting racial inequalities in healthcare, including disparities in pain relief provision across various areas of care.
Dr Nuala Lucas, President of the Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association and co-author of the study, expressed concern that women with pre-existing health conditions or those giving birth prematurely may be among those least likely to receive epidural pain relief. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy described the findings as 'shocking and indefensible', attributing the disparities to 'racialised assumptions'.
This research follows a recent report by Labour peer Valerie Amos, which detailed systemic failings in UK maternity care, including women being ignored and poor triage. The cumulative evidence suggests that racial stereotypes are influencing healthcare professionals' perceptions of pain, leading to unequal access to relief for minority ethnic women during childbirth.