October 2026: A Missed Opportunity to Make Invisible Communities Visible

In July, the Traveller Movement wrote to the Government following the publication of Baroness Amos’ National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, expressing our disappointment that Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities were not explicitly referenced in the report, despite facing some of the poorest maternity and neonatal outcomes in England.

This week, we received a response from Baroness Merron, Minister for Women’s Health and Mental Health. The Minister acknowledged that Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Traveller communities experience “significant and unique disadvantages” in maternity and neonatal services and confirmed that discrimination against these communities was referenced in interim work and some local NHS trust reports.

While this recognition is welcome, it does not address the central concern. The final national investigation was a rare opportunity to shine a spotlight on communities that continue to experience profound health inequalities, poor access to services and persistent cultural misunderstanding. Yet Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller families remain absent from the report’s headline findings and recommendations.

When a national investigation explicitly highlights cultural competence gaps affecting other communities, but fails to do the same for those who consistently experience some of the worst maternal and child health outcomes, an important opportunity for change is lost.

The Government’s commitment to tackling discrimination through its new anti-discrimination programme is encouraging. However, if inequalities experienced by Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller communities are not visible in national policy and evidence, they risk remaining overlooked in practice.

The Traveller Movement will continue to advocate for the inclusion, visibility and health rights of all Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller families.

Read the full letter here