The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the rate of maternal postnatal healthcare examinations in England: an OpenSAFELY interrupted time series analysis providing evidence of disparity in care access
Maternal postnatal examinations within the recommended time were negatively affected by the onset of the pandemic. Despite rates improving over time, most failed to occur within the recommended 6-8 weeks. Significant variation in rates exists across NHS regions: rates were lower in ethnic minority groups and in more deprived populations. Addressing these disparities will require a combination of policy changes, financial incentives and targeted, culturally appropriate interventions to ensure equitable access to care for all mothers and infants.
Authors
- Andrea L. Schaffer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3701-4997)
- Tjeerd van Staa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9363-742X)
- Seb Bacon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6354-3454)
- Victoria Palin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0851-8619)
- Dexter J. L. Hayes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8807-0729)
- Ben Goldacre (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5127-4728)
- Brian MacKenna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3786-9063)
- Alexander E. P. Heazell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4303-7845)
- Amir Mehrkar
Institutions
- Angkor Hospital for Children (KH)
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (GB)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- St Mary's Hospital (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Medicine
- Published
- 2025-11-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-04436-w
- Primary Topic
- COVID-19 Impact on Reproduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Tommy's
- Medical Research Council