Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to develop a national plan for a sudden unexplained death in childhood plan.

We recognise the devastating impact of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities. There are currently no plans to develop a national plan for SUDC. However, during a recent Westminster Hall Debate on this issue, I highlighted the Government’s commitment to strengthening pathology services, ensuring high-quality bereavement support, and growing the evidence base.

A national programme to strengthen National Health Service perinatal and paediatric pathology services was launched in 2022 to help reduce waitlists for death certification and access to screening, alongside additional funding to expand training posts.

We are encouraging research applications on any aspect of SUDC through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, alongside supporting the National Child Mortality Database which is improving our understanding of deaths in children over the age of one years old. Continued support and information for bereaved families is provided through the When a Child Dies leaflet, which is available at the following link:

https://www.ncmd.info/publications/when-a-child-dies-a-guide-for-parents-and-carers/

The When a Child Dies leaflet was updated in 2025 to include refreshed bereavement guidance and links to organisations such as SUDC UK and the Lullaby Trust. Families are also assigned a key worker to guide them through the child death review process and to help them access appropriate support and services. Further bereavement support can be found on the NHS help page, Get help with grief after bereavement or loss, and the GOV.UK page, What to do after someone dies: Bereavement help and support, which are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-bereavement-loss/

https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/bereavement-help-and-support

NHS Bereavement support is commissioned locally to help ensure services are shaped around the needs of their community. Anyone affected by SUDC is encouraged to contact their general practice, who can offer advice and refer them to local bereavement support services. We are also exploring options to ensure parents and professionals can access appropriate information and signposting, including via the NHS website.