Baby Loss Awareness Week

Ms Morgan stressed the importance of evidence-based research and investment, noting that for every £1 spent on maternity care in the NHS, only 1p is invested in pregnancy-related research. She highlighted the need for safe staffing levels and training within the maternity service to prevent avoidable baby deaths.

Highlights the progress made in discussing baby loss but emphasises that there is still much work to be done. Discusses stillbirth rates, neonatal death rates, and the impact of mental health issues on parents. Mentions his Act and the need for coroners to investigate stillbirths as a measure to ensure transparency and accountability.

It is a great honour to follow my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham, who set out his work in this space with clarity. I extend an offer of support from the all-party parliamentary group on baby loss. The debate marks Baby Loss Awareness Week and aims to put aside party politics to discuss important issues. Thanks are extended to previous APPG chairs and members for their efforts. Local health leaders are urged not to neglect the national bereavement care pathway due to cost-saving measures. Personal stories of those affected by baby loss highlight its impact across society. Local support, such as lighting up monuments in memory of lost babies, is noted. The building of a new women and children's hospital in Truro aims to reduce baby loss risk through holistic services and advanced technology. Continuity of care during pregnancy and addressing staffing shortages are emphasised for better outcomes. Post-mortem processes and bereavement suites need improvement to provide closure to parents. Support after the event, including mental health assistance, is crucial as different families process grief differently. The shortage of perinatal pathologists needs addressing through mutual aid and non-invasive autopsy techniques. Basic facilities like dedicated bereavement suites should be standardised across hospitals. Midwifery staff shortages are acknowledged but new degree apprenticeship routes aim to retain experienced midwives, benefiting both training and patient care. Cornwall's initiative in reducing midwife vacancies is highlighted as a model for other regions. Overall, there is much work to do to improve baby loss prevention and support for affected families.

Re-emphasises the need to beef up post-mortem examination processes to give parents better support during such a difficult time, ensuring they know when their baby's remains will be returned.

Commissions Cherilyn Mackrory for her energy and enthusiasm in continuing the all-party group on baby loss. Commends Tim Loughton for his commitment to pushing through elements of his private Member's Bill over six years.

I thank the hon. Member for North Shropshire for bringing forward this debate and emphasise the importance of stillbirth inquiries in Scotland, noting the fatal accident inquiries system as a positive step but indicating that more work is needed to implement similar measures across the UK. I highlight the significance of the Ockenden report and its findings regarding maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. Despite some progress, concerns remain about stillbirth rates in England, especially given higher mortality rates reported by 21 NHS trusts. I emphasise that socioeconomic factors play a significant role in stillbirth variations across the UK. The Ockenden report detailed mistakes and cover-ups, which are indicative of systemic issues within the healthcare system. I share my personal experience of losing a baby to pre-eclampsia and discuss the ongoing lack of support for women who suffer from this condition post-pregnancy. I underline the need for better accountability and transparency in healthcare organisations, stressing that independent reviews should not be necessary if hospitals are proactive about admitting and learning from mistakes. I express concern over the continued reluctance of health boards to address failures openly and advocate for a cultural shift towards honesty and openness when tragedies occur.

Intervened to pay tribute to Baby Loss Retreat, a charity in Glasgow that supports families through baby loss. He called on the Government to implement a register for certification for babies lost within 24 weeks of pregnancy, as has been done by the Scottish Government.

Agreed with Patricia Gibson's emphasis on the importance of differentiating genuine mistakes from negligence to ensure healthcare professionals are not afraid to provide accurate information during investigations. She supports the need for better accountability in the NHS while highlighting that some errors should be treated as honest mistakes rather than negligence.

The hon. Member congratulates others on securing the debate, acknowledges contributions from previous speakers, and pays tribute to those involved in baby loss awareness work. She highlights the importance of the national bereavement care pathway and the all-party parliamentary group's efforts. She expresses her role as shadow Minister for women’s health and mental health and shares constituents' personal stories about their experiences with baby loss. She raises concerns over the slowing decrease in mortality rates, geographical, racial and socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirth rates, and disparities in neonatal mortality rates. She urges the Government to address these issues and improve bereavement support access across the country. Additionally, she mentions the need for better maternity services and calls on the NHS workforce plan to set clear targets for reducing baby loss.

Expresses gratitude to the Minister for her proactive engagement with the all-party parliamentary group on baby loss. Acknowledges the importance of understanding why a baby died through perinatal pathology or coroner’s inquest, and highlights issues such as national bereavement care pathway rollout, continuity of carer, and physical facilities for supporting parents after a loss.

Calls for the Government to address the lack of coronial investigations into stillbirths. Emphasises the need for support for fathers who experience baby loss and understanding why their baby died through pathology or coroner’s inquest.

Shares personal experiences and highlights important issues such as the national bereavement care pathway rollout, continuity of carer, and appropriate physical facilities to support parents after a loss.

Discusses the use of baby loss certificates for babies born before 24 weeks. Highlights the need for better bereavement care pathways and appropriate physical facilities to support parents after a loss.