Welcome
NIHR ARC South London closed in March 2026. This website preserves the legacy of our maternity and perinatal mental health research theme — so that our findings, stories and the voices of the women who shaped this work remain accessible to clinicians, policymakers, researchers and the public.
reduction in preterm birth risk from community midwife continuity of care
reduction in maternal & perinatal deaths through community mentoring in Sierra Leone
women in England included in our large-scale midwife continuity of care study
research projects tackling inequalities, mental health and safety in maternity care
Latest news & features
11 February 2026
Celebrating six years of NIHR ARC South London
A look back at the outstanding impact, collaboration and community engagement of our ARC over six transformative years.
21 January 2026
Continuous care from community-based midwives reduces risk of preterm birth by 45%
New findings from the largest real-world study of midwife continuity of care in England.
Informing national policy on perinatal mental health and maternity care
How our research shaped Better Births, the Three-Year Delivery Plan and NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 strategy.
Our research areas
About this research programme
The maternity and perinatal mental health research theme at NIHR ARC South London was based at King’s College London. Led by Professor Jane Sandall CBE, our team of researchers, midwives, clinicians and peer researchers worked with NHS trusts, community organisations and women with lived experience to generate evidence that has changed clinical practice and informed national policy.
Patient and public involvement
A defining feature of our programme was its commitment to involving women with lived experience as genuine partners in research. Community members co-designed studies, contributed to publications, trained as peer researchers and helped develop a charter for trauma-informed research engagement.
NIHR ARC South London — Maternity and perinatal mental health research theme — southlondonmaternalhealthresearch.co.uk — Content archived May 2026. This research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration South London.