Miscarriage Care

Baroness Deech Excerpts

Monday 18th May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

That is exactly why there is provision in the Employment Rights Act. We are consulting on the detail of how we can most effectively make it work, but it is quite right to do that, and I am glad we are following this example.

[Baroness Deech (CB)]

My Lords, it is widely reported that maternity services are in crisis—in fact, an inquiry is ongoing. Could it be that women suffering from miscarriage get less priority when maternity services are overstretched and as busy as they could possibly be, as we have read? Would it not be better if maternity services were improved once we get the result of the inquiry? Then there would be time and more patience to deal with the women suffering miscarriages, who are probably in the same area of the hospital as the maternity wards.

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

The noble Baroness, Lady Amos, will report next month, and we are grateful to her for conducting an independent investigation. The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce and all its expert reference groups—a number of noble Lords are kindly taking part in that, alongside those with lived experience and clinicians—are getting on with the work of how we improve maternity and neonatal services. We will not have to wait long for the noble Baroness’s report. We will look not just at her recommendations but at where there are gaps and, should reference to miscarriage be one, we will of course seek to fill that gap.