Asked by: Alice Macdonald (Labour (Co-op) - Norwich North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on improving the recording of miscarriage data in cases where women have had contact with health services.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Some data on hospital stays related to miscarriage is collected, but the majority of baby losses occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is rightly the choice of the individual who has experienced the loss to disclose this information to healthcare professionals.
Discussions between the Department and NHS England specifically about improving the recording of miscarriage data in cases where women have had contact with health services have not taken place.
In line with the priorities outlined in NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, the Digital Maternity Record Standard (DMRS) Release 2 was updated in 2024 to improve the recording of miscarriage data in cases where women have had contact with health services. The new models of care to be added to the DMRS include women suffering from bereavement or loss. The new standard also recommends that a code for birth outcome, including miscarriage, is recorded, as well as information on previous miscarriage or pregnancy loss.