Migrant women are charged up to £14 000 for maternity care in England, report finds

Women including refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants are being charged as much as £14 000 (€16 270; $17 140) to give birth on the NHS in England, a report by Doctors of the World (DOTW) has found.

The report,1 which examined inequalities in maternity care among migrant pregnant women and babies, gathered the experiences of 257 pregnant women accessing DOTW’s services from 2017 to 2021. It found that over a third (38%; 88/233) who accessed its services had been charged for healthcare, often inappropriately. The women were charged £296 to £14 000, and half of them were billed over £7000.1

The report said that inequalities in access to antenatal care experienced by migrant women were likely to lead to poorer outcomes for their pregnancy and the health of their children.

Anna Miller, head …