NHS Trust Creates Specialist Role for Cousin Marriage Families
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has advertised a unique position for a 'Close Relative Marriage Nurse/Midwife' within its neonatal intensive care unit. The role specifically targets families who are closely related and have recently welcomed a newborn.
Specialist Support for Consanguineous Relationships
The successful candidate would provide comprehensive care and support to families described as 'close relatives,' including cousins, uncles, aunts, and other closely related family members. This specialist position requires proactively working with families who practice close relative marriages to enhance understanding and awareness of genetic testing and potential health issues.
The nurse or midwife would be responsible for liaising across various healthcare teams to ensure newborn wellbeing, with particular attention to genetic risks and health problems that may arise when parents share a common ancestor. The role description emphasized approaching these conversations in an 'empowering' and 'culturally sensitive' manner while helping parents make informed choices.
Political Context and Controversy
This advertisement emerges amid growing political debate about banning first cousin marriages in England and Wales. While marrying siblings remains illegal in the UK, weddings between cousins are currently permitted despite concerns about increased risks of birth defects and potential oppression of women.
Conservative MP Richard Holden has been championing the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill since 2024, seeking to ban first cousin marriage. He described the practice as having 'only massive downsides' for health and welfare. Regarding the NHS position, Holden criticized what he called 'wasting taxpayers' money dealing with the consequences of first cousin marriage' instead of banning the practice entirely.
However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has previously indicated his party would block any attempt to introduce a legal ban on first cousins marrying. Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed, representing Dewsbury and Batley, has argued against 'stigmatising' the issue, suggesting instead a 'more positive approach' involving advanced genetic tests for prospective married cousins.
Changing Patterns in Bradford
Bradford has been a focal point for studying consanguineous relationships due to its significant Pakistani community. A 2024 study found nearly half of the female Pakistani community in Bradford were in consanguineous relationships. However, research indicates this percentage has been decreasing from 62% a decade ago to 46% more recently.
The Born in Bradford study, which has tracked these relationships since the late 2000s, suggests cousin relationships are no longer a majority in Bradford's female Pakistani community. Researchers attribute this decline to factors including higher educational attainment, stricter immigration rules, and evolving family dynamics.
NHS Guidance and Salary Details
The Close Relative Marriage Nurse/Midwife position offered an annual salary between £37,338 and £44,962 and has since closed for applications. The role is part of a national programme funded by NHS England and is currently understood to be vacant.
NHS guidance distributed to couples in Bradford acknowledges risks to child health associated with close relative marriage but suggests these should 'be balanced against the potential benefits.' The guidance notes that '85 to 90 per cent of cousin couples do not have affected children,' compared to a national average of 98 per cent for unaffected children.
The NHS material also mentions potential benefits of marrying relatives, including economic advantages, emotional and social connections, and increased social capital. This approach has drawn criticism from some quarters while being defended as culturally sensitive by others.
As the political debate continues and research evolves, this specialist NHS position highlights the complex intersection of healthcare, cultural practices, and public policy in addressing the needs of families with consanguineous relationships.
