Baby Loss

Sureena Brackenridge Excerpts

Monday 13th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)]

I thank every Member from across the House who has shared their personal experience and those of their constituents. I also thank the families who have been listening to the debate in the Gallery.

From what has been shared so passionately, it is clear that not every family faces the same risks or receives the same care. The latest data from MBRRACE-UK—Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK—has already been shared, but I feel that I must repeat it, as it is so deeply concerning. It shows that babies of black ethnicity are more than twice as likely to be stillborn as babies of white ethnicity. Neonatal mortality rates among black and Asian babies are over 50% higher than those among white babies, and babies born to mothers in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to die in the first month of life than those in the least deprived areas.

Access to bereavement care is also unequal. The national bereavement care pathway sets out what good care should look like, but voluntary adoption, stretched staff and a lack of time for training mean that too many families miss out. When mental health support is needed, it is even harder to access. Over 80% of bereaved parents report needing psychological support, yet only half are able to access it through the NHS. In particular, fathers and partners are forgotten far too often.

I thank the Secretary of State for being in the House to listen to the debate. Will the Government commit to eliminating inequalities in maternal and neonatal outcomes based on ethnicity and deprivation? Will they ensure that every bereaved family—wherever they live and whatever their background—can access high-quality bereavement and mental health care? Will every NHS professional who supports those families be given the training and time they need to do so with confidence and compassion?

I welcome the steps that the Government have taken, including extended baby loss certificates and the improvements to parental bereavement leave set out in the Employment Rights Bill. However, Members from across the House, like families across the country, are calling for the compassionate, consistent and equitable care that every bereaved family deserves.